#first kill 1x02

I definitely picked up on the unsubtle hints of tension between Elinor and her parents in the early episodes. It made me worry she might leave her dad to die or even get her mom out of the way to become the Keeper of the Malkia. 

But she subverted my expectations! This confident, blasé girlboss actually cares very deeply for her family. 

She goes out of her way to mentor and assist Juliette, even though Juliette stubbornly refuses to let go of her weakness. 

She convinces her grandmother to draw up a political marriage to save her father’s life. 

Time eats away at memory and vigilance.

I do love how Juliette should have been in hot water for coming home so late, but she gets away scot-free. Because the second Margot spots the blood and fangs, she is filled with such pride that her daughter has finally committed her first murder. And she turns away to busily plan her debutante party, even though it’s the middle of the night. 

He started with the congratulations that were in order. He reminded Juliette of the compassion she had displayed as a child and reaffirmed that it is not a weakness. Then instead of scolding her for the way she allegedly tore apart the corpse, he declared that he had faith in her. That the next time she took a life, she would show more restraint.

- Calliope, First Kill 1x01

Compassion is not a weakness. It is a gift to be embraced.

- Sebastian, First Kill 1x02

This comparison isn’t so much “two opposing views on compassion” as it is “two unique situations centered on empathy/compassion vs violence/murder.” 

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Calliope never disowns her femininity or her empathy, though she does tie the two together. But she does recognize those attributes as reasons her family is sheltering her, and she resents that. Resents feeling like an outsider in her own family because of it. She doesn’t try to erase her empathy, only tries to set it aside long enough to “do what needs to be done” and finally commit the First Kill.

She never wavers from her belief that monsters deserve to be killed; she simply doesn’t put Juliette in the category of “Monster.”

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Juliette has been procrastinating her graduation to Full Vampire™ as long as possible, knocking back as many blood pills and blood smoothies as she can to stave off the symptoms. She cannot abide the thought of taking someone’s life and only accomplishes it in defense of her lifelong best friend.