#stelena 3x22

[forbescaroline]

235 FAVORITE SHIPS OF ALL TIME (ranked by my followers) 32. stefan salvatore and elena gilbert - the vampire diaries

[laufire]

STACKEDIARIES | may 10th | “the departed”

[Caption: greyscale gifs from The Vampire Diaries. Elena and Matt are trapped in a car on the lake when Stefan comes; Matt is unconscious, and Elena’s still awake. Stefan opens the driver’s door, where Matt sits, and goes to grab Elena. She shakes her head and finger, frantically pointing to Matt instead. Stefan shakes his head and proceeds to grab her again, but she insists, staring at him with pleading eyes. Stefan, visibly hesitant, accepts, and proceeds to get Matt to the surface, leaving Elena behind. She watches as they leave, releasing the last of her air in bubbles. She fades slowly, dying.]

[nikkiruncks]

The Departed (TVD 3x22) || You Oughta Know (T9S 2x01)

[winnie-the-monster]

“What’s wrong?”

“Lately I feel like every time someone walks out of this house, there’s a chance they may not make it back home.”

“Well, I promise I will do everything in my power to make sure that we all come back. Just in case there’s no later.”

[zalrb]

why do you think the writers chose to make the steroline proposal so similar to the stelena one?

If I were a Steroline shipper, I would say that the purpose is to show that SE was a long-ago fantasy but SC is what's real and immediate and in front of him and that's what the parallels are meant to indicate. The "healthy" Steroline equivalent of Delena's "We're messy and we're complicated but we're real".

As a Stelena shipper, and taking in the fact that season 8 has a lot of loaded Stelena moments (not even accounting for season 7)

In season 8 Stefan could’ve spoken about how he told Caroline at the festival that things would be OK again, that they’ll make it through, he chose to speak about Elena

Caroline is the one who brings them up

Bonnie tells him to find hope,

the first thing we see him do is write in his diary to Elena:

The show even continues the narrative of Stefan being unable to leave town because Elena keeps him in MF:

which is a pattern Katherine brought up in season 5:

that we saw in season 1:

And season 3:

In 3x04 Klaus returns with him to Mystic Falls because Stefan couldn’t adequately lie to Rebekah about maybe loving someone else the way he loved Elena.

In 3x21, 3x22 he says he’ll leave town if she chooses Damon but she chooses him instead and more than that becomes a vampire so he stays.

Even Cade who is manipulated by Katherine, the way Katherine tortures Stefan has nothing to do with Caroline directly, she’s a casualty of her plan yes, but her plan is focused on making Stefan destroy his relationship with Elena once and for all, to poison their relationship:

taking in the fact that Elena is the last person he sees before he dies

taking in the fact that in season 6, Julie said this

Julie Plec: They [Stefan and Caroline] are sharing an experience of having to say goodbye to someone they care about [who] ultimately is Stefan’s true love. (source)

in season 8 KW said this

He pauses, then continues, “If there was any other conversations, we ended on this one. This show was always about Stefan being the hero, and if Stefan could not have Elena, Stefan could do this very nice thing of giving his brother the chance to live with Elena.”

I think the parallel is what I said in my "Just Be Happy" gifset

When I spoke to the anon about 8x05 and the kitchen scene, there was something about it that felt off to me that I couldn’t articulate until now. Making breakfast and getting coffee/tea whatever in the morning with your partner is innocuous enough, thousands of couples do that all the time, but within the context of other scenes in the season it feels as if Stefan is trying to recreate the Stelena fantasy life with Caroline in an effort to do what Elena told him to do in 6x22: be happy.

When push comes to shove, Elena is still the person Stefan draws hope, strength and inspiration from as seen in 8x01 and in 8x05 and there’s just something mechanical about his life with Caroline.

[kiss-my-freckle]

Damon and Elena weren't meant to sex it up for the first time in a "skeevy" motel room because they're not a one-night stand.

"I sent him because lately, it seems like he's able to get through to you in ways that I can't." Stefan can't get through to Elena because she's sired, and she's sired because she fell in love with Damon in season 3. He's ultimately saying he sent Damon to help Elena on the bridge because she's in love with him.

Fans who claim Damon and Elena don't communicate are blind to the fact that they actually do, especially when they argue. Damon isn't insulting Stefan and Elena for arguing in 2x5. He's insulting their lack of communication. That's why their car ride home in 3x19 is silent. Similar to 2x5, Elena has to figure things out on her own. However different in the fact that Stefan's secrecy is the reason Elena has to figure things out on her own in 2x5, and Elena's own fear in 3x19 that she has to figure things out on her own. Damon has her pegged, and has no problem confronting their issues. It's she who has a problem with it. This is something fans should notice with most of their arguments/conversations.

In Stelena's 2x5 argument, it's Stefan who has a problem, so Damon is ultimately insulting him. Something he does in Isobel's episode because Stefan's lack of communication is that blatant. He lacks in that regard because he chooses to lie and keep secrets, and has been living in denial about Katherine for 145 years. It's my interpretation, Stefan knows that Elena is trying to choose Damon in 3x22. That's why he kisses her. His comment has nothing to do with their current crisis, and everything to do with her feelings for Damon. That's why she's sparking up an entirely different conversation separate from the one they just had, and every bit the reason for her awkward body language. She waits because it's the wrong time, and it's the wrong time because of their current crisis.

[stelenawarrior]

I'm currently drowning in Stelena right now so I figured I'd compile all my favorite stelena moments and they're attachments.

My Favorite Kisses (in order)

1. 2x05

The way Elena assures Stefan that it'll always be them, touches me so much. She knew that in that moment, all he needed was support. Stefan can handle a lot on his own, he doesn't rely on anyone for him to make decisions that add to his growth, but I just KNOW that seeing how committed she was to him and how much belief she had in him, he felt so much stronger

2. 1x21

Stefan went through THE MOST in this episode. The guilt he felt for everything he'd done came rushing back to him all because of his relapse. Elena, who also blamed herself for his relapse, never gave up on him once. She knew him so well that even when she left the choice up to him, she knew he wouldn't go through with it. That's how much faith she has in him.

3. 1x02

I love this kiss so much simply because Stefan can see that it took a lot for Elena to come and face him and let him know about her fears. At first he leans in, but he's hesitant, indirectly leaving it up to her to complete the kiss. She goes through with it. Allowing it. Meaning she's allowing him in. She's ready to be with him at this point because after meeting Elena in 1x01, we see how numb and absent she is from everything...then she met Stefan.

4. 3x22

Need I say More. The angst, the yearning. The unpredictability of Stefan. THE ELENA GAZE. I wish I was in love

5. 1x10

This Kiss. Is so beautiful. Because this is the Elena that knows vampires exist, this is the Elena that knows Stefan is a vampire, this is the Elena that knows what vampires do and how it's possible for her to get hurt. But this is the Elena that WANTS to be with Stefan. The Elena that confesses she loves him and Stefan, unable to avoid the way he feels any longer...gives in.

Iwantastelenababy.

6. 1x18

THE PASSION. I-

[gilbertstelena]

Matt supporting Stefan and Elena.

[fancytyper]

That whole ‘maybe if I had met you first’ thing is such bullshit. It shouldn’t matter who Elena met first, it shouldn’t be the end-all-be-all of who she wants to be with. It should matter what kind of relationship she has with them; whether they are good together or not. Her choice in who she picks shouldn’t be based on who caught her eye first.

Also, I just hate the whole ‘who are you gonna pick?’ ‘What choice are you going to make?’ Like she’s deciding between ice cream flavors instead of people. And just that way Damon talks about ‘getting the girl’ at the end of season 4 makes it seem like Elena is more of a prize than a person he loves. I just hate how objectifying love triangles are.

[annoyingvoidzombie]

Just dropped by to say, happy 10th anniversary to TVD events ❤️

Even Though Elena and Jeremy Has Lost Their Parents, We're Still Very Much Happy With What Came Next 🌺

[keira84]

[jbuffyangel]

Hi Jen! I know you're a diehard Stelena shipper so here's my question for you with a bit of backstory. I was a hardcore Stelena fan until when Stephan made Elena think he'd drive them off the bridge (3x10?) so she'd let him go. I understand why he did it, but that went too far for me and i couldn't ever ship them again after that. I couldn't get over him forcing her to relive her most traumatic moment, regardless of his reasoning. What are your thoughts on that moment in their relationship?

Yeah, that was a real low point in Stelena’s story. For me, not as low as Stefan drowning in a safe all summer while Elena banged his brother, but still low.

Before we get into this I’m going to just say - every viewer has to draw their own line in the sand. If that moment was your line that’s completely fine. I may have different lines for different shows and characters, but I don’t believe anyone’s lines are more valid than others.

So here’s the way I look at The Vampire Diaries Nonnie - they are all terrible people. Arguing morality with these characters is a black hole. They are all murderers. In fact, if a character runs the straight and narrow for too long Julie Plec & Co. actually went out of their way to make that character do something horrible. 

Case in point - Caroline. Pure sunshine.

She murdered only one person and it was when she was a newbie vamp. By the numbers count Caroline was doing pretty good for TVD. Then she was up on the moral high ground and threw a lot of judgement Damon’s way (well deserved in my opinion). She was extremely anti Delena in Season 4 and was not pleased with Elena’s choices as a vampire. So what did the writers do? They had her kill 12 witches in 4x17. Say goodbye to the moral high ground, Caroline.

That’s the show and you are going to do terrible things if you’re a vampire. Humans like Matt, Jeremy and Bonnie fared better, but each makes morally questionable, if not down right wrong, decisions. Their opinions about vampires and all the murderer was typically correct, but frequently viewed as judgmental by fans.

So what’s my point? Any fan of the love triangle got on board with these relationships with full knowledge the brothers were killers. Just because Stefan was a solid dude when Elena met him didn’t erase the fact he spent the better part of the 1920s ripping people’s heads off. Hell, Damon murdered people while he was dating Elena. Murder is not a deal breaker- either to Elena or Stelena/Delena fans. If Elena was supposed to end up with the most moral person on TVD she should’ve married this blue eyed cupcake.

Stefan (or Damon for that matter) being cruel to Elena didn’t really make me want to peace out on the show or stop shipping their relationship. Just because Elena is the focus of the terrible thing doesn’t suddenly make it more terrible than all the other things Stefan and/or Damon have done.

I’m not going to defend what Stefan did. You are kinder to him than I am because I think it had zip to do with forcing Elena to let him go. Stefan was still on human blood which made him a rage machine. He was pissed at Klaus for destroying his life (rightfully so) and hell bent on revenge. 

Do I believe Stefan, with his humanity switch on, would actually kill Elena? No, which is why I kind of yawned my way through the whole driving her off the bridge plan. Klaus was an idiot for buying it, but the only reason he did was because Elena was terrified. Stefan said her fear sold it. The point was to traumatize her, which makes Stefan an enormous dick. 

And yet, three episodes later he’s off human blood and Elena is begging him to feel something for her. 

This show was ridiculous. Both sides of the love triangle are abusive, co dependent, toxic train wrecks at certain points in the story. Some points last longer than other points, but I’ll side eye any Stelena or Delena fan who argues  differently.

Stefan was faaaaar too “heroic” by The Vampire Diaries standards the first two seasons. In order to make this love triangle a real love triangle Stefan had to be a dick with his humanity switch ON. The whole Ripper/no humanity thing gives him an easy pass. And The Vampire Diaries, for better or worse, was based on the love triangle.

No, in order for Elena to really struggle choosing between the two brothers, and not looking like a loony tune for giving Damon a second look while Stefan was literally the vampire equivalent of Clark Kent, they needed Stefan to go to the dark side. This made Damon step up to the plate and he became the hero in Elena’s life. And we’re off to the races with the love triangle, which was the whole point of Season 3 - ELENA’S CHOICE. If I took a shot every time Elena said, “I don’t know how I feel,” I would’ve permanently damaged my liver.

So why did I keep shipping Stelena after that moment? 

Because I knew what the show was trying to do. Stefan had to do something as terrible as Damon killing Jeremy to even the playing field. 

Do I feel those moments equate? No, but I’m a Stelena fan so that’s not a shock. I own my bias. Bloodaholic Stefan was never going to hurt Elena (no not even turn her into a vampire) whereas Damon literally killed Jeremy. 

I also kept shipping them because I knew this was the low point. I knew good Stefan would start to come back after this. And Stefan, when he’s not ripping heads off, has his humanity switch on, and his blood addiction under control, is one of the best people on that show. Selfless, heroic, warm, compassionate, protective and giving. He’s devoted to Elena and loves her deeply, but he also loves her friends and family. Does Stefan put those people first all the time like Elena wanted him to? No, but he prioritized them a hell of a lot more than Damon. 

I was willing to forgive Stefan for Wickery Bridge because I knew Stefan would feel immense guilt once the haze of revenge lifted and he allowed the full weight of all the things he did hit him. Stefan would punish himself more than I ever could and do everything in his power to make amends because that’s who he is. 

This is the same reason Elena chose Stefan at the end of Season 3. Did he “earn” his redemption by 3x22? No, the dude had been acting good for a total of nine episodes. Well, techinically five if we’re being strict about what constitutes “Good Stefan.” Elena didn’t choose Stefan because of the person he was during Season 3. She chose Stefan because of the man he had been in Season 1 and Season 2. That’s the man she loved and she knew that man had come back. 

But if we’re really being fair - Damon probably deserved to be chosen more than Stefan just based on their behavior in Season 3. Same rules apply for Season 4. Stefan deserved to be chosen more than Damon then.

***Side note. One thing TVD did extremely well was parallels. I loved that she told Stefan on the phone that she loved him in 3x01 and to hold on to that. Then told Damon on the phone that she is choosing Stefan in 3x22. 

(This is also why Elena told Damon she loved him for the first time over the phone. It was to make up for the time she dumped him over the phone and left him for dead. See? They all did crappy stuff to each other CONSTANTLY).

The difference between the brothers is not good and bad. Stefan isn’t entirely good just like Damon isn’t entirely bad. The difference between the two brothers is one fights the good in him while the other fights the bad. Neither are successful in their battles all the time. Stefan did terrible things, with his humanity on, and Damon could be wonderfully heroic and sweet. 

But Damon pushed against that goodness A LOT. Whereas Stefan pushed against his badness A LOT.  I’m not into the bad boys or the anti heroes. I like darkness in my fictional men, but I enjoy watching them fight it and not relish it. 

But I don’t glean any morality from The Vampire Diaries. It was a fantasy show. It’s crap I watched for fun and had pointless, but entertaining, ship debates with strangers on the Internet. Nor do I apply my real world principles to my shipping preferences. I am married to the kindest, gentlest, most moral man I know. I like the goody guys with NO darkness in real life. I would never allow my kid to date a Stefan or Angel or hell not even Oliver Queen in real life. Are you nuts???? THEY MURDERED PEOPLE.

But in my fantasy world, yes I am extremely forgiving. Not unlike Elena Gilbert, Buffy Summers and Felicity Smoak. Oliver Queen is as squeaky clean as I get. It’s a little easier I think with Angel (versus Stefan) because he only did horrible things after he lost his soul, which was not his fault. 

It’s really two personas. I love Angel, but I hated Angelus. I never wanted Buffy to hook up with Angelus. 

Does that erase his responsibility over Jenny Calendar? 

Nope. But simply because I knew Jenny Calendar as a viewer, and Angel was hurting people Buffy loved, doesn’t suddenly make that murder worse than all the others Angelus killed. Just because Buffy didn’t know those people, and they died hundreds of years ago, doesn’t make their lives any less valuable. But I got on board with Buffy dating Angel knowing all that before he lost his soul, so the morality factor didn’t really change after he got his soul back. Make sense?

It’s similar with Stefan. Stefan and The Ripper are two personas, but TVD liked to muddy the water a little more than Whedon with the humanity switch - a grey area. But in general I divide his character into two selves. 

Now, in real life if I was on a jury these guys would be serving 25 to life. But this is fantasy. Vampires don’t really exist. Teenage girls don’t date men over 110 years old. It’s illegal.

Characters like Stefan and Angel are an allegory. They represent the struggle between good and evil that live within all of us. The writers use vampirism to represent our sinful nature. The human struggle to be good and battle against our (hopefully) lower scale darkness/sins is the only real moral lesson I apply. That and always put Paul Wesley in a white tank top.

So, that’s how I look at that scene Nonnie. As I said before it is completely fine for that to be the moment you stopped shipping Stelena. I never stopped shipping Stelena and I never will, which is why they are one of my OTPs. They are a tragic story, but I will always love them. Despite all of Stefan’s terrible mistakes, I will always believe he was the best choice Elena ever made.

[austennerdita2533]

ooh can you do those same top three questions but for suits and tvd :)

Sure can, nonnie! xx

*Just as a general disclaimer for anyone else who happens to read this: my ship preferences are what they are. I’m simply stating my opinion/preference and am in no way encouraging hate or fights. Discussion is always welcome, of course, but happy vibes here only!

*2020 sucks enough as it is without bringing ship drama into it, you know?

TVD

Top 3 seasons:

-1, 2, and 3 without an ounce of hesitation. This was when the show was at its peak in storytelling, characterization, ship development, magic/mythology etc.

Top 3 romantic ships:

-Klaroline. One of my highest echelon ships for reasons I do not need to enumerate; however, I will say what I love about them most is they challenge as well as complement each other in beautifully rich, convoluted ways. Their back and forth is ridiculously entertaining, too!

-Kalijah. They have spice, and angst, and forbidden love, and 500+ years of cat-and-mouse chasing and I will be over here bitter about them for eternity! 

-Forwood. *excuse me while I cry over “until we find a way” for a few hours* These two went through so much to be together! Their progressive arc in s2-s3 is still one of my favorites.

*I’m Swiss neutral when it comes to Stelena and Delena, I vacillate between both ships at different times so they’re not included in my top 3. I’m an anomalous TVD shipper, a true outlier, what can I say?

Top 3 platonic ships:

-Klelijah. Klaus and Elijah have an incredibly dense, fraught brotherly dynamic. Something about their ancient ties and 1,000-year bond is gripping. There’s so much spoken and unspoken subtext between them. So many unresolved “somethings.” Plus, it’s no secret that I adore the Originals and all they add to the TVD-verse.

-Klebekah. Klaus and Rebekah sparkle, they sizzle, any time they’re on-screen together. Just the sheer depth of feeling and betrayal and angst they emanate is so entertaining to watch. Don’t get me started on the whole “I loved you more than anyone and you didn’t even care” scene because I get emotional.

-Defan. Stefan and Damon are another complex sibling relationship on the show. Throw into the mix that they find themselves in love with same woman, not once, but twice, and whew! I love the flashbacks we get of them throughout history as well.

*Gotta give shoutouts to my other favorite, though moderately less well-developed, brotps here: Carenzo, Katholine, Rebekoline, and Baroline. *chef’s kiss*

Top 3 characters:

-Caroline Forbes

-Klaus Mikaelson

-Katherine Pierce

Top 3 plotlines you’d change/erase if you could:

-THE BABY PLOTS ! ! ! BOTH OF THEM!!!!!!!!! (I’m talking Klaus/Haley and their tribrid baby and Caroline’s surrogacy/pregnancy with the Gemini twins.) I apologize for my overemphasized caps + exclamation points here, but I loathe these storylines with every fiber of my being. I can’t help it. More often than not, I like to pretend they don’t exist lololol.

-How they handled the beginning of Stefan and Caroline’s romantic relationship was...icky. Like, while Liz was dying? Really? Then she turns off her humanity because he “rejects” her. Again, REALLY? I have major issues with the overall portrayal of them as a couple - particularly with the relationship imbalances as well as the insecurities they heightened instead of tamped out in each other - but the inception of it all is what kills me. Especially because I am a huge proponent of friends-to-lovers ships...and the writers really dropped the ball with them, imo. I’m a multishipper at heart so the disappointment I harbor is PALATABLE. 

-The Cure storyline and the Travelers storyline. Didn’t like either of them. They have equal “could’ve been loads better” billing.

Top 3 episodes you’d take to a deserted island:

-3x14, Dangerous Liaisons. LISTEN. This is my favorite episode of the entire series. There’s a ball, there’s blood-tinged champagne, there’s duplicity and romance and drama. All the Mikaelsons are under the same roof, for crying out loud! It’s gold!

-2x07, Masquerade. This one because of my girl, Katherine Pierce, the biggest, baddest bitch of all. She’s a saucy little minx the entire masquerade only to end up locked in the tomb. I just...love it.

-The Klaroliner in me is screaming 4x23, Graduation because being on a deserted island without having access to Klaus’s iconic “however long it takes” declaration would be insupportable. However, a case could be made for either 3x20, Do Not Go Gentle because I am trash for the decade dances, and that one’s my favorite, OR 3x22, The Departed because that is one hell of a season finale!

Suits

Top 3 seasons:

-Season 2. Mike’s secret out of the bag? Them all working together to fight against the merger? Donna shredding evidence to protect Harvey? Daniel fucking Hardman? *thumbs up*

-Season 5. FIREWORKS. Donna’s working for Louis, Harvey’s in therapy, Mike gets arrested/goes on trial, Zane family drama. Exquisite stuff

-Season 3 or Season 1. Don’t make me choose between them, please. 🙏🏻

Top 3 romantic ships:

-Darvey. I mean, OBVIOUSLY. These two idiots had me from the pilot. I knew the moment Donna said “I also took care of that. we’ve been married for the last 7 years” that I was on the precipice of falling into another long, beautiful, up-to-their-chins-in-pining, slow sloooooow burn ships. Granted, I didn’t think it’d take 8 seasons for them to get together lololol but I don’t regret a damn thing!

-Mike and Rachel. They’re adorable together, they truly love each other. Also, can we talk about how they’re a steady couple for most-ish of the show?  They have drama, sure, but they work through most of it together. As a unit. THAT’S A BIG DEAL. It’s like going through the canon drive thru and actually getting (most) of what you ordered.

-Louis and Sheila. This is a couple who makes me laugh uproariously AND feel all the emotions. I mean, will I ever forget Louis dropping to one knee in the hospital with his ass cheeks hanging out? NO. Will I ever get over Shelia’s pregnant feet being too fat to fit into her Cinderella glass slippers? NOT ON YOUR LIFE. Will I blubber like an emo sap whenever they finally reconcile/get their happy ending? YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT.

Top 3 platonic ships:

-Mike and Harvey. They have a connection from the beginning but I love seeing how much they rub off on one another, how much deeper their bond grows over the course of the show. Their movie references are always a delight, too. *cries: it’s so beautiful*

-Donna and Louis. Their relationship is so important to me. Like?!?!?!? They have so many fantastic one-on-one moments together - some that make your sides ache with laughter, others that prick your eyes with emotion and tears. Even though it kills me when Donna leaves Harvey to work for Louis, I can’t help but love it too because he fanboys all over her. GIVE DONNA ALL THE LOVE AND APPRECIATION SHE DESERVES. 

-Harvey and Louis because they have a formative and/or impactful dynamic. They mostly respect each other but there’s a lot of animosity between them. Makes for such good TV!

Top 3 characters:

-Donna Paulsen aka Fashion Goddess of NYC (can I have all of her outfits? for real) and the Reigning Queen of Sass (who also happens to be the reigning queen of my heart as well). The entire firm would have fallen into collapse without her, FULL STOP.

-Harvey Specter. I have a penchant for stoic, inscrutable, emotionally constipated, on-the-borderline-of-asshole characters and boy did I hit the jackpot with this one! 

-This one was hard, but I’m going to go with Louis Litt because his character evolution is amazing! He’s so unlikable at times, what with his competitive streak and anger/jealousy issues, but then there’s this whole other side to him that’s sensitive and vulnerable and sweet. You can’t help but root for him, you know? (Even when you want to punch him right in the nose lol.)

Top 3 plotlines you’d change/erase if you could:

-Harvey giving Paula the credit for why he reconciled with his mother, when it was actually because of Donna. They retcon/fix this in the narrative in s9 but it still bugs me in the moment. I can’t let it go. So sue me.

-Pearson Hardman’s “Harvard Only” hiring law. Not only is it ridiculous and discriminatory but no way in hell would you even be able to implement such a thing in today’s world. Nor should you be able to do so. Diversity is important!

-I wasn’t crazy about the Mike prison storyline but, at the same time, he had to serve out penance for the whole fraud business??? So yeah.

Top 3 episodes you’d take to a deserted island:

-2x07, Sucker Punch. THE MOCK TRIAL, AHHHHHHH. Louis grills Donna about Harvey within an inch of her life. I can hear his inflection during his stream of “do you love Harvey Specter, do you love Harvey Specter” in my head. It is so effing tense in that conference room, I DIE. 

3x06, The Other Time. I am all about this flashback episode, okay? It opens Pandora’s box on all things past!Darvey and also shows us how Mike gets thrown out of school.

-8x16, Harvey. If you think I’d willingly retreat to a deserted island without having access to that Darvey love epiphany/love actualization scene then you are kidding yourself! I still blast “Love is Mystical” on full volume just to daydream about that swooping-through-the-apartment-door smooch sometimes. *fans self*

[forbescaroline]

melissa’s very long list of favorite ships (in order of ship name) stelena (stefan salvatore and elena gilbert). “thank you for bumping into me that day in the hallway. i never thought i could be happy again and then i met you. you changed everything for me. you quite literally saved my life. i love you so much."

[zalrb]

What were some of the story beats you think stelena do better than phole?

cole fighting his demon nature for phoebe.

i think stelena does it better.

the whole cole trying to scare her away and get her to dump him and phoebe being stubborn in her love for him and they're trying to kill feelings that they can't shake i don't believe any of it.

like, there is the writing where i don't think i've been given any real reason as to why they would have this connection at all but i'd be willing to overlook that if alyssa and julian sold the pain and sold the angst by themselves but they don't. it's reliance on storylines like phoebe turning into a banshee because she was in pain and then as a banshee being attracted to cole because of his pain, which again i would be fine with, like how i love the demonstration of stelena's love through stefan literally doing the impossible and fighting an original's compulsion because of his love for his elena but stefan and elena sell their story just by nina and paul being in the same space (plus they have the writing)

but when cole and phoebe get together, i'm just like ... i've seen angst done properly with the same sort of storylines for me to care about any of this. like obviously charmed came out before tvd but even as a kid i was like um...buffy and angel did this better??

like, cole monotonously telling her that he was given a second chance and he blew it

compared to stefan trying to scare elena away with his vamp face

even the torture of 1x19.

his face, her face

but this is supposed to sell their circumstance for me?

when there's this? the earnestness in stefan's face?

and nina isn't trying to get to a place she's at the place with paul

and then in 3x22 when they do the whole did the potion really work? and you get your answer with a passionate kiss

i much prefer living in that kind of moment, in the tension like the 3x03 closet scene. where they're just looking at each other.

stefan sees her and he reacts, you see it in how his neck clenches,

and then he's given the test -- is he too far gone or not, but cole and phoebe don't have tension to work with so i'm not living in this situation with them, it's all kind of perfunctory. this is the best they can do

[kiss-my-freckle]

Hunger by Ross Copperman, their soundtrack for Damon's dance with Elena in 6x22 can be used for Elena too. That's why she feeds on him at the Grill and why he takes her feeding at college. She's hungry for Damon and she's starving because of that sire bond being a result of her being in love with Damon lol. They have a lot of parallels, so several of their songs work for both. Like their song in 5x22, Love Is Just a Way to Die by I Am Strikes. Even some of their soundtracks for Stefan and Katherine work for Delena. Like Breathe Again by Sara Bareilles and My Superman by Santigold. Stelena's soundtrack at the end of 3x1 works better for Delena than Stelena because Emily said Stefan's heart is pure even in death, and it's later stated by Rose that his love is pure. It's pure because his heart is pure. That's why he has a problem loving vampires. Anyway, that soundtrack is A Drop In the Ocean by Ron Pope.

"Damon just sort of snuck up on me. He got under my skin and no matter what I do I just... I can't shake him."

There's a reason Elena can't shake Damon. Bloodstream by Stateless, his soundtrack for Datherine's kiss in 1x22 is written on screen for Elena as they made it literal. Trust me, 3x22 and 4x1 are Delena episodes.

I think I might've inhaled you I could feel you behind my eyes You've gotten into my bloodstream I could feel you flowing in me