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Old 07-09-2013, 04:39 PM
  #16
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How could anyone possibly even entertain the idea that Emmett & Bay are just meant to be friends? I disagree. All I have to do is look at the first post to this thread, and I know they are meant to be so much more. Why is Vanessa like this in interviews? It really bothers me. It's as if she debases true love, and she's all for Bay being the character with the most boyfriends. Also, I do not like how she suggests that viewers should wait until the end of the series to find out what happens between Emmett & Bay. I do not want to wait until the end of the series. That is the one thing that could mar this show for me. Everything else about it is beautiful.
I'm going to defend her here because I just think that's the vibe she's getting from the writing. She never actually said they are just meant to be friends, just musing about it. And I don't think she is suggesting viewers wait until the end just that it's usually what typically happens with dramas is that they wait until the end of the show.

If anything, I don't blame her for feeling that way. I blame it on the writing. If they are going to keep writing Bay and Emmett that way how can Vanessa or Sean or any of them really know what will happen? I understand Vanessa has had issues regarding Bay and Emmett, but I really think she's just basing the question and answer on what she is getting from the writing. If the writing is suggesting nothing more than a friendship and that's what Lizzy and the others are giving out, I don't know how she can expect more. Sure she can suggest they would be more, but lately the writing hasn't really given viewers much hope. They dangle the carrot and then pull it away. I can't fault Vanessa for not knowing where it's going.

I don't think she debases true love. I think there were some great things she said about them being cosmically connected and them being meant to know each other. She, like us, is just waiting to see what will happen. And in the end, she can ship or not ship them all she wants. It's going to come down to what Lizzy wants and sees as Bay and Emmett's future. I don't know. I'd rather read stuff like this than false hope, for example Lizzy's "they are true love and true love never goes away" doesn't hold much water to me when you write them the way she writes them. I actually find that more insulting to fans. Don't feed me BS about how great they are and then pull what you pull.

Also, it's not just Vanessa. Sean's been less vocal about Bay and Emmett too or rather less optimistic. Back during 1C when they were giving interviews he also said he pretty much had no idea where the writers would go or if he thought they should be together. He kept saying "It's up to the writers." I really can't blame them. Would it be awesome if they were excited and still all gung ho for Bay and Emmett? Sure, but from their standpoint, I could see how it would become frustrating to answer something they don't know how to answer.

Last edited by Slayerfan714; 07-09-2013 at 04:48 PM
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Old 07-09-2013, 09:14 PM
  #17
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I'm going to defend her here because I just think that's the vibe she's getting from the writing. She never actually said they are just meant to be friends, just musing about it. And I don't think she is suggesting viewers wait until the end just that it's usually what typically happens with dramas is that they wait until the end of the show.

If anything, I don't blame her for feeling that way. I blame it on the writing. If they are going to keep writing Bay and Emmett that way how can Vanessa or Sean or any of them really know what will happen? I understand Vanessa has had issues regarding Bay and Emmett, but I really think she's just basing the question and answer on what she is getting from the writing. If the writing is suggesting nothing more than a friendship and that's what Lizzy and the others are giving out, I don't know how she can expect more. Sure she can suggest they would be more, but lately the writing hasn't really given viewers much hope. They dangle the carrot and then pull it away. I can't fault Vanessa for not knowing where it's going.

I don't think she debases true love. I think there were some great things she said about them being cosmically connected and them being meant to know each other. She, like us, is just waiting to see what will happen. And in the end, she can ship or not ship them all she wants. It's going to come down to what Lizzy wants and sees as Bay and Emmett's future. I don't know. I'd rather read stuff like this than false hope, for example Lizzy's "they are true love and true love never goes away" doesn't hold much water to me when you write them the way she writes them. I actually find that more insulting to fans. Don't feed me BS about how great they are and then pull what you pull.

Also, it's not just Vanessa. Sean's been less vocal about Bay and Emmett too or rather less optimistic. Back during 1C when they were giving interviews he also said he pretty much had no idea where the writers would go or if he thought they should be together. He kept saying "It's up to the writers." I really can't blame them. Would it be awesome if they were excited and still all gung ho for Bay and Emmett? Sure, but from their standpoint, I could see how it would become frustrating to answer something they don't know how to answer.
Alyssa, are you saying that (based on the writing) you are beginning to see Emmett and Bay as meant to be just friends now? Is that why Vanessa is answering questions that way, in your opinion, because that is what the writers are indicating?

Based on the writing thus far, I don't see it that way. I see Emmett & Bay as still being meant for a romantic relationship.

Of course, I can imagine a future for them where the cheating incident was just too much for Bay to ever overcome. That story could be told and painted very realistically. It almost has been told. But I just don't see that as where the writers are ultimately going.

Vanessa can never say that Emmett & Bay are meant to be, because even if she knows that is the writers' intentions (and she probably doesn't), that would be giving away the story. But I don't like to hear her speculating that maybe they are just meant to be friends. It feels like she is rubbing salt in a wound, because I care. I would rather Vanessa say that she has no idea what the future holds for Emmett & Bay, than for her to say (that because Emmett & Bay were "just friends" in the AU) maybe that is what was always meant to be for them.

Emmett & Bay were a lot more than friends in the AU where they had never been switched at all. Did Vanessa speculate about the meaning of that?

And I do feel Vanessa is being more pessimistic than the writers. Ecce Mono presented us with a different (less confident) Bay, but I felt that her connection with Emmett was more than friendship in that episode. She called him a "hot Deaf guy" which indicated an attraction to him. He signed, "It's a date," to her, which is what she had said to him in the regular timeline when they first made plans together. He was coming to her house. She was busy learning to sign.

It is true that Emmett & Bay did not have time to kiss in the AU, but they just met. I thought the implication was that both Emmett and Bay were attracted to each other and interested in each other romantically.

I did not find Switched at Birth until after Emmett cheated. I came to the show through Netflix in August of 2012. So I never saw any pre-cheating interviews with Vanessa or any of the cast. I have heard that she spoke differently about Emmett & Bay before the cheating. Wish I could have been there to enjoy that! But every interview I have ever heard has Vanessa talking about how excited she is to have the most boyfriends of any character on the show. She also talks a lot about how good looking the men are on the show, and yes, they are nice looking.

During the first couple of interviews, it was cute and funny to hear Vanessa excited. But after a while, it just gets old. To me, she is debasing love when she continues to focus on the number of boyfriends her character dates and their physical appearance. I could understand if her character never had a meaningful relationship, but she did. And it does feel, to me, like Vanessa is debasing love when she continues to ignore that aspect of her character. Emmett was important to Bay even if they do not end up together. He was more important than the friendship role to which she seems to be assigning him.

I don't want false hope either, but I feel as though Lizzy Weiss has stayed true to her vision of "they are true love and true love never goes away." To me, the writing is giving every indication that Emmett & Bay are meant to be. That's why Vanessa's interviews bother me.
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Old 07-09-2013, 09:44 PM
  #18
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No, I don't see it that way, but I don't know what's been going on on the set is all I'm saying. I don't know what Lizzy has said to Vanessa or what others have said or what they are throwing out for her to think that.

I see Bay and Emmett as meant to be and more than friends, but I understand how it can come across differently especially when Weiss does certain things. VM said during the "Game On" table read, Lizzy was super excited to shove that script in her face before they actually did the table read, like really gleeful and that really rubbed me wrong. I think Vanessa was jarred by that a bit. Maybe I'm wrong and Lizzy still intends to stick to them being true love, but I feel a lot of bones have been thrown to the fans and they aren't really delivering.

Maybe I'm just getting tired of waiting around for nothing. I'm not trying to be overly pessimistic or downplay Bay & Emmett's love, but I don't see them as respecting it. Honestly there really was no good reason to have him cheat. None. It was all for pure drama. Sure maybe they did really want to "test them" to make sure they were the be-all end-all meant to be couple, but test them like that? It was unnecessary.

I do agree that Emmett was important to Bay even if they don't end up together. All I'm saying is if Vanessa is feeling that way, it's partially due to how Lizzy went about writing their fallout. Honestly if I were an actress and was happy with the pairing I was in and the creator was that hyped up on destroying them I probably couldn't believe in them either. In playing Bay, she has to get inside her head and feel every emotion Bay is feeling. I am just saying it's understandable why she would feel that Bay and Emmett are meant to be just friends or why she would rather them being just friends. I mean, really, who does that? It's one thing to write it in a script, but then to be all "Haha, bet you didn't think I'd do that," it just sends the wrong message. Like what can she do to top that mess? Will there just be more and more heartache for Bay and Emmett and their fans?

I guess I don't see how she's stayed true to that vision, Amy. At this point, I really don't think she has. I'm sorry. I wish I could say differently, but who really knows what she intends to do? I truly thought they'd be back together in the end of 1C and then I was hoping 2A. Now we're in 2B. If she can give us an indication that it will happen soon, then fine. I'm all for it. But everyone keeps saying it's only the second season, it's too soon. If they get them back together now they'll just have to break them up again. No, not if you choose to not write them that way. Well, okay, when is it not too soon? We're not even renewed yet. There is no season 3 in the works. I mean, really. Maybe we'll get 5 seasons, but that's a big maybe.

It is just starting to feel like they are going for the last minute thing here unfortunately.
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Old 07-09-2013, 10:18 PM
  #19
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No, I don't see it that way, but I don't know what's been going on on the set is all I'm saying. I don't know what Lizzy has said to Vanessa or what others have said or what they are throwing out for her to think that.

I see Bay and Emmett as meant to be and more than friends, but I understand how it can come across differently especially when Weiss does certain things. VM said during the "Game On" table read, Lizzy was super excited to shove that script in her face before they actually did the table read, like really gleeful and that really rubbed me wrong. I think Vanessa was jarred by that a bit. Maybe I'm wrong and Lizzy still intends to stick to them being true love, but I feel a lot of bones have been thrown to the fans and they aren't really delivering.

Maybe I'm just getting tired of waiting around for nothing. I'm not trying to be overly pessimistic or downplay Bay & Emmett's love, but I don't see them as respecting it. Honestly there really was no good reason to have him cheat. None. It was all for pure drama. Sure maybe they did really want to "test them" to make sure they were the be-all end-all meant to be couple, but test them like that? It was unnecessary.

I do agree that Emmett was important to Bay even if they don't end up together. All I'm saying is if Vanessa is feeling that way, it's partially due to how Lizzy went about writing their fallout. Honestly if I were an actress and was happy with the pairing I was in and the creator was that hyped up on destroying them I probably couldn't believe in them either. In playing Bay, she has to get inside her head and feel every emotion Bay is feeling. I am just saying it's understandable why she would feel that Bay and Emmett are meant to be just friends or why she would rather them being just friends. I mean, really, who does that? It's one thing to write it in a script, but then to be all "Haha, bet you didn't think I'd do that," it just sends the wrong message. Like what can she do to top that mess? Will there just be more and more heartache for Bay and Emmett and their fans?

I guess I don't see how she's stayed true to that vision, Amy. At this point, I really don't think she has. I'm sorry. I wish I could say differently, but who really knows what she intends to do? I truly thought they'd be back together in the end of 1C and then I was hoping 2A. Now we're in 2B. If she can give us an indication that it will happen soon, then fine. I'm all for it. But everyone keeps saying it's only the second season, it's too soon. If they get them back together now they'll just have to break them up again. No, not if you choose to not write them that way. Well, okay, when is it not too soon? We're not even renewed yet. There is no season 3 in the works. I mean, really. Maybe we'll get 5 seasons, but that's a big maybe.

It is just starting to feel like they are going for the last minute thing here unfortunately.
I understand how you feel, Alyssa. I really and truly believed Emmett & Bay would get back together in the opening episode of Season 1C.

Then, I thought it would happen all throughout Season 1C. And I especially thought it would happen in the Season 1C finale.

Then, I thought it would happen in the Season 2A premiere. And I continued to believe it would happen in the "next" episode all the way up through "Drive in the Knife" which drove a knife in MY heart. That episode broke my heart. I actually jumped ship for a couple of days.

So yeah, I understand how you feel. I look at how well the writers wrote when Emmett & Bay were a couple, and I do not understand why they do not continue that. Their banter was lovely. I adored "Starry Night" despite all their conflicts.

Exploring their relationship is the single most fascinating thing the writers could do in my estimation. I can understand the breakup and even keeping them apart for a while, but I really hope they unite them with time to explore their relationship.

So yeah, I understand how you are feeling. I do see so many signs that Emmett & Bay are meant to be, but ultimately, who knows what the writers will do.

I'm going to try to go back to channeling your zen, Alyssa.

I hope I don't lose interest in the show.
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Old 07-09-2013, 10:26 PM
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Aw. I feel bad now. Don't give up your passion for them, Amy! I haven't.

I do love Bay and Emmett and I do want to believe the writers love them and are building up this grand love story. It's just hard to keep believing when they are careless at times.

I could have understood breaking Bay and Emmett up. Couples break up and take time apart. My issue is more the reasoning behind it and the way they went about it that sometimes gives me pause, you know? I just know Weiss in particular loves her secrets and has a penchant for shockers. I don't think I can take any more negative shockers when it comes to Bay and Emmett is really what I am saying. It just doesn't always inspire much confidence.

However, with episodes like the What If and 1x09 with Daphne's vision, I truly believe they are saying Bay & Emmett are meant to be. My fear is will we get to see them live up to that?

But I still love Bay and Emmett. I'll always love Bay and Emmett. And I don't want you to lose interest in the show or in them. It's just hard sometimes! I love how much you love them and how passionate you are about them. It's truly inspiring. Makes me believe in the goodness out there. So, don't let anything I said take that away from you or to heart.

Bay and Emmett are the love story of this show. We all feel it.
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Old 07-10-2013, 02:02 AM
  #21
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I almost feel like Bay and Emmett kind of overshadowed the entire show, overshadowed the switch element and the Deaf culture element, so the show pushed back to 'correct' a problem, but when romance is reduced to this or that six episode guest star, its hard to stay engaged (creepy chef, really show?). Frankly, I love ebay, been rooting for them since that look way back in the pilot, and want them back together.
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Old 07-10-2013, 07:07 AM
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I almost feel like Bay and Emmett kind of overshadowed the entire show, overshadowed the switch element and the Deaf culture element, so the show pushed back to 'correct' a problem, but when romance is reduced to this or that six episode guest star, its hard to stay engaged (creepy chef, really show?). Frankly, I love ebay, been rooting for them since that look way back in the pilot, and want them back together.
I have wondered if that is what made the writers break them up in the fashion that they did, too. The funny/sad thing for me is now that they are broken up, Emmett & Bay REALLY DO overshadow the whole show. In Season 1A and 1B, Emmett & Bay were definitely a highlight of the show. But in Season 1C, I could think of nothing but Emmett & Bay. Same with Season 2.

For anyone who loves Emmett & Bay, I found the most beautiful fan fiction. I do not know who wrote it, but the figurative language is absolutely exquisite. I loved chapter one from the moment I read it. And when chapter 2 was posted today, I could not believe it is even better.

It's difficult for me to take the heartache of the writers' decision to keep Emmett & Bay apart on the show. This fan fiction explains everything. It even explains that awful comment Emmett made to Bay at the end of Season 2A. I wish this writer could join the Switched at Birth staff. It's so easy to believe and have hope for Emmett & Bay, when I read this beautiful story:

Here Is A Heart Chapter 1, a switched at birth fanfic | FanFiction
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Old 07-10-2013, 09:25 AM
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Source: http://come-and-dance.tumblr.com/
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Old 07-10-2013, 10:39 AM
  #24
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Gosh, just looking at this thread makes me happy. It's filled with beautiful gifs, pictures, and wonderful thinky thoughts!
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Old 07-10-2013, 11:16 AM
  #25
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I have wondered if that is what made the writers break them up in the fashion that they did, too. The funny/sad thing for me is now that they are broken up, Emmett & Bay REALLY DO overshadow the whole show. In Season 1A and 1B, Emmett & Bay were definitely a highlight of the show. But in Season 1C, I could think of nothing but Emmett & Bay. Same with Season 2.

For anyone who loves Emmett & Bay, I found the most beautiful fan fiction. I do not know who wrote it, but the figurative language is absolutely exquisite. I loved chapter one from the moment I read it. And when chapter 2 was posted today, I could not believe it is even better.

It's difficult for me to take the heartache of the writers' decision to keep Emmett & Bay apart on the show. This fan fiction explains everything. It even explains that awful comment Emmett made to Bay at the end of Season 2A. I wish this writer could join the Switched at Birth staff. It's so easy to believe and have hope for Emmett & Bay, when I read this beautiful story:

Here Is A Heart Chapter 1, a switched at birth fanfic | FanFiction
I feel almost certain that the startlingly positive fan response to Bay and Emmett as a couple was at least in part a cause of how they were subsequently written. I don't suppose for a minute that Lizzy et al, whilst they must have known that the characters individually were very appealing (what was it she said about Sean? "That kid just pops off the screen!"), can have predicted their huge success, and the sheer level of shippness which was to ensue.

I think it very likely that they were concerned about that ship swamping the story as a whole - or at least the response of the audience - and what followed was retrenchment.

Of course, this is all conjecture. We don't really have any way of knowing. TPTB move in mysterious ways

You're right: they overshadow far more apart than they did together, after all that. Perhaps the writers really thought we would all pack our bags and disembark. But here we are still, and we can neither forget it, nor consign it to history. They really do have something magical.

That said, I am still (as I have been for some time now) in the position of vacillating like mad between hope and belief, and despair and sadness, about the way things have been, and continue to be, written. Damn it, I want these two adorable, brilliantly matched young people together.

And yes, I would like to be added. I have meant to say so often, but never got around to it.

ETA: Ta for fic link. And to all for the interesting thoughts and comments in this thread.
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Old 07-10-2013, 12:05 PM
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That said, I am still (as I have been for some time now) in the position of vacillating like mad between hope and belief, and despair and sadness, about the way things have been, and continue to be, written. Damn it, I want these two adorable, brilliantly matched young people together.
This, a hundred and one times over, plus a million and two. I would really like to see these two put back together, the way they fit so beautifully, before this show is over. As much as I love all of their sweet friendship moments, I really do miss the heart of the ship itself.

It was and will always remain one of my favorite things about this show, that got broken and needs to be fixed.
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Old 07-10-2013, 01:59 PM
  #27
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I almost feel like Bay and Emmett kind of overshadowed the entire show, overshadowed the switch element and the Deaf culture element, so the show pushed back to 'correct' a problem, but when romance is reduced to this or that six episode guest star, its hard to stay engaged (creepy chef, really show?). Frankly, I love ebay, been rooting for them since that look way back in the pilot, and want them back together.
I definitely feel this was part of the problem. Of course, we really don't know, but I have always suspected this to be true.

Quote:
I feel almost certain that the startlingly positive fan response to Bay and Emmett as a couple was at least in part a cause of how they were subsequently written. I don't suppose for a minute that Lizzy et al, whilst they must have known that the characters individually were very appealing (what was it she said about Sean? "That kid just pops off the screen!"), can have predicted their huge success, and the sheer level of shippness which was to ensue.

I think it very likely that they were concerned about that ship swamping the story as a whole - or at least the response of the audience - and what followed was retrenchment.

Of course, this is all conjecture. We don't really have any way of knowing. TPTB move in mysterious ways
Yes to this. Lizzy has stated she planned them all along hence the moment at the end of the pilot with Bay-Emmett eye sex Yes, it was eye sex, and when they did the 'charades' scene in the car lot, they were watching going "Oh good, this is going to work."

I just don't know, if like you said, they expected it to work that well.

But like you said, at this point it's just speculation. Really what do we know. I suppose it's always possible that they really are going for this incredibly long love story that beats the odds, but right now it feels like Bay & Emmett are squarely in the star crossed lovers TV trope, and we all know how those go.

Quote:
You're right: they overshadow far more apart than they did together, after all that. Perhaps the writers really thought we would all pack our bags and disembark. But here we are still, and we can neither forget it, nor consign it to history. They really do have something magical.

That said, I am still (as I have been for some time now) in the position of vacillating like mad between hope and belief, and despair and sadness, about the way things have been, and continue to be, written. Damn it, I want these two adorable, brilliantly matched young people together.
We will never disembark the SS Ebay/Bemmett.

I just want Bay and Emmett to have babies. And for them to have a completely blissful relationship from now on with no major fights. Maybe a spat or two about stupid silly things, but for the most part they seriously deserve a lifetime of laughter.

I'll add you soon btw!
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Old 07-10-2013, 02:47 PM
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This, a hundred and one times over, plus a million and two. I would really like to see these two put back together, the way they fit so beautifully, before this show is over. As much as I love all of their sweet friendship moments, I really do miss the heart of the ship itself.

It was and will always remain one of my favorite things about this show, that got broken and needs to be fixed.
Song_River, you express the feelings I have in my heart for Emmett & Bay. I posted a review to the Emmett & Bay fan fiction ("Here Is A Heart") that I linked earlier today, but my review is so long that the Fan Fiction website cut half of it off.

I would like to post it here on Fan Forum, because it has some thoughts about Emmett & Bay that I would like to share with all of you. (If it's not okay to post, Alyssa, please delete it, or let me know to delete it.)

Here's the link (from earlier) to the fan fiction:

Here Is A Heart Chapter 1, a switched at birth fanfic | FanFiction

And here's my review:
"Dead Poet's Society" is one of my favorite movies. In it, a character, a teacher, John Keating, shares these words with his students:

Quote:
We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for. To quote from Whitman, "O me! O life! Of the questions of these recurring, of the endless trains of the faithless, of cities filled with the foolish, what good amid these, O me, O life?"

Answer. That you are here—that life exists, and identity; that the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse. That the powerful play *goes on* and you may contribute a verse.

What will your verse be?
I thank you, with tears in my eyes, for sharing your verse with me.

There is nothing on this earth more important than love, and you write love beautifully. Yes, everyone is in character! I really do wish you were on the writing staff for "Switched at Birth" to tell this love story. It is perfection. And it is more important to me than any of the other issues “Switched at Birth” explores.

Mr. Keating also says:

Quote:
"No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world."
And they can.

"Switched at Birth" has proven that with its look at Deaf culture. Things are changing, opening up. People are learning ASL because of this show. These changes are important, vital.

But nothing is more important than love.

The way you write love has changed my world. You paint a picture of love that allows me to see new colors I never knew existed. With "Here Is A Heart", you are telling a story that is already written in my heart, that always has been there. It is as if you unlocked some secret chamber I never knew existed, but one that was with me and beating more strongly than any other. Thank you for that.

There’s also an exchange in “Dead Poet’s Society”:

Quote:
Mr. Keating asks one of his students, “Language was developed for one endeavor, and that is, Mr. Anderson?”

The student, Neil Anderson, answers, “To communicate.”

And Mr. Keating replies, “No! To woo women!”
And I have no doubt that is true. The human race is nothing without love.

I want to share some of the brilliance I found in your writing. Oddly enough, you start Chapter 2 exploring the idea of why we learn language:

Quote:
Her enthusiasm didn't last long – conjugation bored her, and she couldn't roll her r's, and after a while the throatiness started to annoy her. But most of all, she had no reason to use it, and she didn't care about grades for grades' sake. French lost its sheen for her.
Bay learned ASL because of love:

Quote:
And it snuck into her heart, quiet and slow. She learned to love it because it interpreted him for her. His patience and humour in the junkyard as he explained to her about Regina's guitar case and waited for her to understand him; his gestures were big and exaggerated and ridiculous, but instead of feeling like a first grader trying to read, he made it fun, and funny – an adventure. She had thought he was Daphne's silent friend, but she learned how loud he was; how determined to be heard, and how impossible to ignore. She learned not to think that people had nothing to say just because they didn't make a lot of actual noise. This is a boy who sees beauty in every frame of the world. The movements of his hands made her treasure every last little bit of communication between them, exactly because it was so hard at first ('Regina left boxes in our garage'; 'What if he's amazing?'; 'I… like you.').”
If I was not already in love with Emmett, I would be just after reading this paragraph. How could you not love a boy with patience and humour, one that makes life an adventure, one who is determined to be heard, one with stubbornness and pride and kindness and romanticism? And you pull in Emmett’s words, his precious, precious words to Bay, so gentle, so kind, so full of appreciation and love for her.

Exquisite.

Your figurative language, in both chapters, is probably the most beautiful I have ever read.

Quote:
Sign language never poured out like spring water. She still wasn't as good as she wanted to be; but she admired it the same way she admired great art and photographs – and she loved it steadfastly, because even after things ended with Emmett, she had the roots of him still wound around her heart, changing the way she looked at the world; reminding her that they had been more than betrayal and heartbreak; humming through her blood as dizzying and sweet as champagne. A piece of him she could keep, while she was too scared to take the all of him that he was offering.
I love the comparison of American Sign Language to great art and photographs. I love how you describe the “roots of him still wound around her heart” and every word that follows in that paragraph. You could not know how much I need to believe that is how Bay feels. I probably need to believe that even more than Emmett needs to hold onto that hope. The writers of “Switched at Birth” have almost left me bereft. The only thing we have had to communicate how deeply Bay’s love runs for Emmett is a few longing looks. I need more than that. I needed your words. I do believe them.

And then you follow this poetic description of Bay’s love for Emmett with his kind words, “I understand you.” Be still my heart. Could anything on this earth be more pure than the love Emmett feels for Bay? I cannot imagine it.

I love your description of how Emmett’s hands were always moving, even when he held Bay’s hand. It rings so real and true to his character that I find myself wishing I could reach into your story and hold hands with him, to feel that, too.

I love that Daphne was selfless and let Bay stay. And I love that Bay realized she would fight for that place, even if Daphne had not.

I love that Melody recognizes how important Bay’s presence would be, will be, to Emmett.

I am curious as to what Emmett was doing out on Blue River Road. The spray paint makes me believe it was not suicide that he had on his mind. That, and the question Emmett ponders at the end of this chapter (“Who benefits from his refusal to give up?”) makes me believe he had something specific in mind. I am beyond excited to discover what Emmett had planned. I wish you had more than three chapters outlined, because I would love to see the completed picture of Emmett & Bay as a couple through your eyes.

Then, you write the section “Not Long Ago” and again, I want so much for this to be canon. I do not have a lot of money, but I would literally sell my home and move in with my mom to see this made canon. Seriously. What I wouldn’t give for Vanessa Marano and Sean Berdy to bring this scene to life! And I ask myself, why are the writers of “Switched at Birth” not writing these two as a couple? Those two actors could change heaven and earth with scenes like this one.

You understand their relationship. One of the foundations of Emmett & Bay is their love for art. I adore that you capture that connection with Emmett’s realization that Bay has an intelligent response to everything he creates (and I squeal with delight at his less than professional considerations, too). Emmett is equally as adorable as Bay. It’s one of the things that makes them perfect together.

I love that you capture Bay’s self-consciousness as well as her wild abandon, and I love that Emmett sees and appreciates it all. Emmett understands Bay in a way no one else does or probably ever will.

The scene under the willow tree, painted with your words, is more beautiful than anything I have ever imagined myself. It inspires me to imagine bigger, bolder, greater visions. It inspires me to dig below the surface to find similar depths of beauty in the human experience.

I love that Emmett thinks it’s cute when Bay tries to dance, because she can’t plan her movements well enough. Yet, Emmett sees Bay’s gracefulness when she moves with wild abandon, and she takes his breath away. It means everything to me that Emmett sees what makes Bay different from the rest of the Kennish family (including Daphne) and that Emmett appreciates Bay for who she truly is. I love that she mesmerizes him with every ounce of her being.

The rhythm of your words flows so eloquently, too. I love both the rhythm of this paragraph and the depth of Emmett’s love that it signifies:

Quote:
Emmett's heart is pounding so hard it hurts; in a good way, like pressing your thumb into a bruise that was worth getting. Her eyes seem darker than usual; he has to photograph that, he can't let this image be a memory alone. Every bit of her; the long, smoothly curved legs, her bare feet. A lot of her is bare in this dress. Arms, shoulders, a tantalizing amount of her chest. And her face – God, she has never looked at him like this before. Shades of this.

But never exactly like this.
Those words are exquisite. Perfect. They allow me to step into Emmett’s heart and mind and feel what he is feeling for Bay. How do you do that with mere words? And thank you for doing that! These words bring me such joy.

I love Emmett’s decision, whether to catch Bay or allow her to knock him down, and I love how both are appealing to him. In this scene, they have come so much further than their first make out session in the park. I love that. I love them. This scene is also reminiscent of the moment after Emmett cheats, when they are playing on the front lawn together and rehearsing for the “Dawn of the Deaf” movie shoot. In my mind, Emmett must remember your scene, when he gets to the more painful one that is shadowed by guilt. The memory of your scene must cause Emmett to realize, even that much more deeply, just what he has put into jeopardy. The fear of losing exactly those kinds of moments with Bay must slay him.

I wonder if Ty, or anyone else, could ever see all of Bay the way Emmett does. I wonder if any other man will ever see into Bay’s soul as deeply as Emmett.

Your word choice is sheer perfection, too. Willow fronds. Erecter of walls. Master of the witty comeback and the sarcastic deflection. Purchase on the ground. A sheen of grace. You choose words that are fitting and sublime.

And I love the double meaning behind “.…he doesn’t care if she pushes him six feet under.” Most of the time, I walk around numb to the memory of what it feels like to be head-over-heels in love, but your words bring every feeling rushing back into my heart and mind and soul. How can I thank you for that?

I believe my favorite line in this latest chapter is this:

Quote:
Bay doesn't care, or doesn't remember, but Emmett, who is holding everything he's ever wanted in his hands right now, has to remember. He has to. This isn't going to happen in a park. Not for Bay.
This line is not about figurative language or word choice or even fluency (although the flow is perfect). This line is about the depth of one idea. It is about true love. It is about putting someone before all others, even before self. And you communicated it with a simplicity that is profound. I could not ask for or expect anything more in a story, because it is real. These words are truth.

And I love your description of Bay:

Quote:
Her face is flushed and she's breathing hard; her lips are swollen; her hair is everywhere. She looks almost drunk. She looks unbelievable. And he does not – does not – want to stop.
How did Emmett ever cheat on her? He must ask himself that question every single day, perhaps even more often than that.

I wonder if Emmett was on his way to paint the willow tree.

I love how their moment lying on the grass together (with Bay’s fingers knit through his) segues into Emmett feeling the pressure of Bay’s hand on his in the hospital room. Extraordinary.

I love his dream of the castle and finding Bay. Just when I thought this story could NOT get any better you surprise me with Emmett’s dream. And layers to your story appear that are deeper and broader and richer than I could have ever envisioned. Love is not a strong enough word to express how I feel about Emmett’s dream. When he tells Bay to “Stop it,” and says that “They’re all the same, Bay. I just want you,” I almost die. But then I do die, when Bay is no longer wearing the white dress. Her hair is flat on one side and tousled on the other, and they are both back in the hospital room, with Bay wearing her pajamas. And I die, because it is so perfect and so real and so true. I do not believe a truer love story has ever been written.

Now, I am already a puddle of tears, and you take me to the line from the show that has been ripping my heart out since the moment Emmett said it, “I am not going to wait around for someone who can’t figure out that the guy she’s with isn’t even into her.”

You cannot imagine how many times I have regretted the writers allowing Emmett to say those words to Bay. And then, you do something amazing. You make it all okay. In fact, you make it better than okay. You make me glad that Emmett said those words to Bay, because you explain them. You explain them in a way that allows me to see those angry words were really an outburst of Emmett’s love for Bay. I never knew that. Or maybe I knew it, but I couldn’t see it through all the pain. But you took that pain away. You explained it away by giving me a glimpse into Emmett’s heart and soul. You explained it with these five paragraphs:

Quote:
Emmett still misses her.

It seems cosmically unfair that she's gotten more beautiful since they broke up. And that's not heartbreak talking. It's not longing or idealization or anything. Though maybe it's more technically correct to say that she has always been beautiful in the particular ways he's just starting to notice, but only recent events have equipped him to understand just how a laugh from the person you betrayed can make you feel as light as air, or how her sitting next to you at the lunch table feels like the kind of impossible good fortune that should only come with winning lottery tickets.

He is seeing her through a sheen of grace now, and that's why when she accuses him of lying, and being jealous, it hits him hard. It's been months since he's let himself even be annoyed at Bay. He warded off hurt because he doesn't deserve to feel it. He wouldn't even consider anger. And he'd thought that those feelings had drained away, but maybe they were just bottled up because he looks at her and for the first time in a long time, he's just mad.

And he tells her he won't wait anymore.

He says it like he's releasing himself from her; he knows that's not fair. She hasn't even been trying to hold onto him. She never promised him another chance. It was desperation that made him cling to the hope she'd give him one anyway.
And it all makes sense. Emmett’s anger makes sense. Everything makes sense. And the only thing that matters is love. You make me see that. That’s your verse.

I am so utterly grateful you shared it with me.
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Old 07-10-2013, 03:42 PM
  #29
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that fanfic you posted is so great! it's so beautifully written. i absolutely love it.
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Old 07-10-2013, 03:48 PM
  #30
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Loved the fanfic, did you write it??
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