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My Kataang heart was BURSTING

Another interesting aspect of Chosen of the Wolf is that we see how Mel slowly retreats into herself as the story progresses.

Don’t get me wrong baby Mel isn’t rabid or anything nor is current Mel meek. But at the beginning of the story, while still very much insecure, Baby Mel is stubborn and confrontational. She has a chip on her shoulder and ain’t afraid to show it. It’s only with every rejection, every secret withheld, and every slight levied against her that we start to see the beginning of what we now know Mel as. It’s why the banishment scene is pivotal. It’s the last time we see baby Mel stubborn and confrontational and it’s in the explosive argument with her and Ambessa.

That final scene, definitely drilled into Mel that no matter how right she is, it’ll never be enough because she is not enough. So we can assume that for the rest of her teenage years and adulthood she stops sharing her thoughts, stops laying herself bare. She would rather make you think it was your idea than for her to be rejected yet again. It’s why her relationship with Jayce is so important. She gets to share her thoughts and opinions freely. She is valued. That ending line in season 1 exemplifies this. Jayce says in a room full of councilors + Viktor, that Mel was always right and he only cares about what she thinks of him. The affirmation she always wanted coming not from her family but from the man she loves, whom resembles her younger self.