Gotcha!

As the fog of war covers the kingdom, Atlas nears its breaking point.

Duration: 18:50

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Honestly, I avoided this question for a while, because it’s a difficult one to answer. 

It’s really easy to say “No, Cinder doesn’t care about either of them”. But I don’t think that’s really true to what we see in the show. 

But on the other hand, it’s always way too easy to go “look, she really does love them” and stray way to close to (or even into) abuse apologism. 

Ultimate, I think the truth is something a little more complicated. 

I’ve said it before, but Cinder acts to them like Salem acts to her. And Cinder does see Salem as a benevolent figure towards her. Not someone she wants to upset, but someone willing to give Cinder her heart’s desire. So long as Salem gets what she wants. 

In Cinder’s view, Salem has given her so much. And all she wants is the relics, a side-effect of Cinder gaining the powers. It’s a more than fair deal, in Cinder’s eyes. She only strays from it when Salem starts standing between Cinder and her desire, for no good reason as far as Cinder’s concerned. She only strays from the deal when she thinks Salem is straying from the deal. 

And I think Cinder sees herself as Emerald, Mercury, and even Neo’s fairy godmother. She will give them their hearts’ desires, so long as they remain loyal, and do what’s asked of them. 

I think Cinder thinks she’s doing them a kindness. That this is what benevolence is, a reciprocal relationship where both get what they want out of it. 

Cinder models herself off Salem, and this is part of it. Building her own little version of WTCH, playing fairy godmother to people she sees parts of herself in. Promising things that she thinks it’s in her power to give: full bellies, protection, and Ruby’s life. 

So yeah, I think there is a level of care there. But it’s mixed in with Cinder’s ego, with her desire to be powerful, with her view of them as tools for her to use and deploy.