DarkAngel

Like, we've got two full on magical dieties and then Jayce, who, I guess would also be kinda magical considering he would've somehow survived exploding in the astral plane--

But imagine Mel and Viktor are still a little out of it after everything that's happened, they're trying to come to terms with their new powers/forms and yeah Jayce has been through the wringer too but he's still mostly the same. As we saw in canon, he's the one that talks Viktor down and helps him regain his humanity.

So imagine Jayce being the one who helps ground Mel and Viktor, gets them out of their heads when they're so wrapped up in the life of a mage. Like, he knows how to remind them they're still human, and that's so important because as we've seen with Viktor, it's easy to lose yourself in that kind of power.

Also, because my brand is filth, I think that would have delicious implications in Pound-town too. On one hand, Jayce is the odd-man out now, it's two dominant dieties against one submissive human. I'm kinda lumping Mel and Vik together here and not that they're interchangeable at all, but it's the power dynamics of it all that I'm trying to harp on here. It would be way too easy to write that they just steamroll over him.

I think Jayce would be, for lack of a better word, worshipping them. Not in a fanatical way, but in the "I'm just really happy to be here and I'm gonna make sure you know exactly how grateful I am to have you in my life" and then, you know, spend all night taking care of business until one of them finally taps out from exhaustion

Like the way he admires Mel and believes in her, the way he trusts her and turns to her for comfort (the way he apologizes immediately after their one fight). Mel has a very solid claim on his heart.

And obviously Viktor. They save each other's lives, their love saves the world, etc. Big cosmic love story.

The show repeatedly draws visual parallels between Mel and Viktor, but that's the thing, they're parallels -- they occupy a similar space in Jayce's mind and heart.

And they're not *really* in competition with each other either. Of course science and politics compete for Jayce's attention, principle and pragmatism, and Viktor and Mel represent those things on a grand narrative scale. But when Viktor is dying Jayce doesn't abandon Mel for him, he goes to her for companionship and comfort. And she doesn't keep Jayce to herself, she tells Jayce that the best thing he can do is spend time with Viktor. When Jayce *does* choose science over politics at the start of season 2, that doesn't change the relationship he has with Mel, they still have this very close and sweet partnership. And in the end, Jayce "dies"(?) alongside Viktor, but he never stopped loving Mel.

I don't have a source for this so take it with a grain of salt, but I saw someone say that in early drafts of the show the Mel-Jayce-Viktor relationship was a very kind of typical angel-and-devil-on-Jayce's-shoulders, which-one-is-he-going-to-choose type of thing. And there’s definite elements of that in the story. But you can also see how much the show ended up subverting that trope and giving the characters so much more depth. It's not Mel who ends up changing Jayce, he ends up bringing out a softer side in her, and rather than forcing him to reject his idealism she ends up trying to defend it ("I won't let them corrupt your dream"). It's not just that Jayce starts spending less time with Viktor (while using his political position to keep Heimerdinger from destroying the thing that might save Viktor), it's that Viktor also starts shutting himself off from Jayce as well.

What sparked this post is that I like a lot of jayvik fanart, but whenever I see fanart that builds out a broader story and world around them, I'm always like, okay but where's Mel? Or when I see a jayvik post that talks about Viktor as Jayce's one true love, it's like... nah that doesn't ring true.

Like Jayce's characterization genuinely falls apart if he's not also in love with Mel, imo. Him looking at Mel with heart-eyes, and telling her "you were always right" and "you will never be a passenger", and finally being able to relax when he rests his head in her lap, are all really important things about him. He gets into this thing with this sexy femme fatale, that's full of political intrigue, and then he’s like, I'm going to fall in love with her. And not only that, I'm going to assume that she's in this for love as well, that under her sharp exterior she's as soft and caring as I am. And then she is! And that's SUCH an important part of who Jayce is.

Because that's his approach to Viktor too. In the end, that's what it comes down to. Viktor had all this shit going on, and Jayce is like, okay, I'm just going to love you. And it works!

Jayce isn't someone who picks and chooses who he loves. For both Mel and Viktor, he loves and trusts them, and when he shows them that, it brings out the best side of them. For all of Jayce's weaknesses, that's his great redeeming quality, that he loves so genuinely, and making him choose between Mel and Viktor ruins that.

"Why are you avoiding me?"

"What? I'm not..."

"I just need some space."

"Why are you surprised?"

"Let's talk sometime else."

"Maybe I have my reasons."

"You're the one avoiding me."

"I… I’m not trying to avoid you."

"I just can't handle this anymore."

"Don't act like you don't know why."

"Avoiding you? We just talked yesterday."

All the Dialogue Responses can be found here.

Damon desiccating in the cell. At least Stefan is spared from him for a few moments.

Elena waking up and finding Vicki. Now she’s actually worried about her brother, and what is Jenna doing? She’s just... okay with it? She knows about Vicki, she knows about the smoking, and she knows about Jeremy, yet she’s still letting him be around Vicki. Honestly, Elena and Jeremy really should have only had Grayson and Miranda. They needed someone much better to take care of them.

Elena saying, “I’m not the girl whose world just stops spinning because of some guy.” She really should have stayed true to that later instead of taking drugs just to hallucinate her dead boyfriend and completely ruin her life.

Stefan not contacting Elena for four days and then saying to Zack, “What am I supposed to do, feed her another lie? I hate lying. I’m not good at it.” This is exactly why he stayed away. It’s so obvious that he just didn’t want to lie to her anymore. At that point, he neither had the strength to tell her the truth nor the strength to keep lying, so he pulled away instead. This is also why I keep saying that even if Elena had never confronted him about his identity, he would have either told her himself or walked out of her life because he simply couldn’t keep deceiving her.

Caroline talking to Bonnie about not remembering anything with Damon but knowing something is wrong because her mind feels messed up. I really feel so much for her here.

Elena giving that satisfied smile to Stefan when he tells her and Caroline that Damon won’t be coming back. She looks so relieved. She genuinely does not care about Damon at all.

That Stefan and Elena kitchen scene still remains one of my favourites. Stefan goes to her house, prepares dinner for her, and shares his favourite shows and music because he wants her to get to know the real him, just as she wanted to know him. That’s what I love most about them. They always resolve things through communication. They never let misunderstandings sit between them. In 1x02, Elena didn’t like how their conversation ended, so she went to Stefan’s house to tell him how she felt before they kissed. Here, Stefan goes to her house to open up about himself. They never choose arguments or distance when they can choose honesty and conversation, and that’s one of the best parts of their relationship.

I also love how Stefan first leans in for a kiss but hesitates, almost asking, “Does she want this?” Then Elena closes the distance and kisses him like, “Yeah, I do.” They’re adorable.

Stefan: “The beauty of you and me out there is that I can walk away.”

That’s such a strong line. Honestly, Stefan should have done exactly that. He should have done whatever it took to get away from Damon. Why did his brotherly love always have to outweigh all the misery Damon inflicted on his life? Just let him go, Stefan. Walk away from the man.

The Stefan and Elena car wash scene was so cute, and I honestly think it’s underrated.

Elena feels self-conscious while taking off the jacket and says, “Sorry, not sexy,” and Stefan immediately replies, “I disagree.” The look they give each other is so sweet. He effortlessly lifts her confidence.

and I also love how they keep holding each other’s hands after the kiss, like neither of them wants to let go. And then there’s Matt, once again, being the observer of their love.

Stefan being the only one who notices Bonnie losing control always makes me think Stefan and Bonnie were such a missed friendship opportunity in Season 1. He could have helped her understand more about her history while they developed a really meaningful friendship.

So that old man becomes the key to everything. He’s the reason Elena grows even more curious about Stefan, which leads her to check the records and finally piece together that he’s a vampire.

Damon manipulating the crow and using Caroline to free him, and then the way Caroline runs away from him afterwards, was genuinely scary.

Then Damon goes and makes Vicki his next victim. It’s just disgusting. Her life gets destroyed for absolutely no reason other than Damon wanting someone to play with for his own amusement.

Then Elena goes to Stefan and asks, “What are you?”

“I’m a vampire.”

sure I love this scene!

What I love first is the entire build-up throughout the episode that ultimately leads to them making love. It doesn’t happen simply because they’re in love. It happens only after they’ve both laid their truths bare. Elena finally knows who Stefan truly is and understands the risks that come with loving him, yet she consciously chooses him anyway.

That choice is what makes this moment so meaningful.What I love most about their first love scene is that Stefan is trying to walk away from Elena for her safety, while Elena is doing everything she can to stop him from leaving. They love each other so deeply that it brings them to this moment. Their love simply won’t let them let go of one another, and this scene shows just how much they’re willing to reveal and surrender to each other.

When Elena tells Stefan, “I love you,” he’s standing at a distance, already prepared to leave. He refuses to look back, at least until she finishes her confession. But her love is so powerful that it makes him turn around even when he was determined not to. The way he closes his eyes and swallows says everything. He knows he shouldn’t take those steps toward her because all he can think about is protecting her, yet her love completely overwhelms him. He can’t walk away anymore. All he can do is surrender, walk back to her, and kiss her.

Everything in this scene comes from Elena’s perspective. She’s the one expressing her feelings, making the decision, and telling Stefan that she wants him despite everything. Even Stefan’s fears no longer matter to her because she’s already accepted every part of him.

Before they even reach the bedroom, there’s another moment that I absolutely love.

Stefan gets so close to Elena that his vampire veins begin to show. Elena needs to see that. She needs to understand exactly who he is before they take the next step together. Even Stefan hesitates because he’s terrified of showing her that side of himself, but Elena isn’t afraid.

That’s why this scene is not just about sex. It’s about love, trust, and complete acceptance. Stefan’s eyes practically ask, “How can you possibly accept this when I’m capable of being this monster?” And Elena answers without saying a word. She looks at him with the brightest, warmest smile like she is happy and she it doesn’t bother her at all and she accepts it with love.

You can actually see how deeply that affects Stefan. He’s overwhelmed because, for the first time, someone doesn’t run from the darkest parts of him. Instead, she embraces them. The kisses that follow feel like his way of telling her how much he loves her, how much she means to him, and how profoundly her acceptance has changed him. That’s why this moment isn’t only about what Stefan has done for Elena. It’s equally about what Elena has done for Stefan.

Only after they’ve reached that place of complete honesty and acceptance do they finally choose to make love.

I also adore the journey to the bedroom. It’s Stefan’s house, yet Elena is the one leading them upstairs. They never stop kissing as they move through the hallway, up the stairs, and into the bedroom. It feels like neither of them can bear to let go. They’re completely surrendering to each other.

And then there’s the bedroom scene itself. Their chemistry here was absolutely CHEMISTRYING.

The way they help each other undress, the forehead touches, Elena constantly reaching for Stefan... every little gesture feels so intimate.

I’ve always believed that what makes a love scene beautiful and sensual isn’t how explicit it is or the camera angles. It’s the chemistry between the characters. The show tried something like that with DE also but it doesn’t work if it is not communicated through chemistry. SE’s love and chemistry alone made this scene feel all-consuming.

They’re so completely present with each other that there isn’t a single moment where they lose physical contact. They’re constantly reaching for one another, touching one another, reassuring one another. One of my favorite shots is when Elena simply leans into Stefan and exhales.

It the entire world disappears around her. Nothing exists except Stefan in that moment. They were genuinely crazy about each other in this Scene.

The expressions, the lingering gazes, the way they look at each other... they communicate everything just through their physicality: Love, awe, passion, tenderness, excitement, complete devotion. The passion they built through every subtle movement between them their love feels so palpable here.