Anonymous: I feel like you've talked about this somewhere, but I tried going way back in your asks and ship tag and found nothing, so here goes: what's your headcanon for the time/episode when Shaw and Root fell for each other, and realized their own/the other's feelings?
I think the turning point for Root’s feelings about Shaw was Deus Ex Machina, when Shaw biked through New York in a blackout to get to Root in Jersey, and abandoned the larger mission to do it. It was a moment where someone put Root first, because they cared about the mission her, and I think that up to that point Root had still mostly been in the ‘flirt with Shaw to annoy her but also she’s really cute and interesting and better than most people’ place, but when Shaw came to keep her safe, Root’s feelings took an irrevocable turn for the serious. Root knew that Shaw was a bit of good code in a world full of shit, and admired her and was attracted to and intrigued by her, and after that moment, she knew Shaw was the one for her.
And that same moment was an important one for Shaw too. To copy liberally from an old post of mine: Root calls Shaw and tells her to be at a certain intersection in 15
minutes, Shaw asks if she’s about to kamikaze into a Decima
fortress with a bunch of nerds, Root says it’s just her, Shaw
asks if the Machine’s got her back, Root just tells her to be at the
intersection again and disconnects the call, and Shaw just stares into
nothingness in disbelief. Then we see Shaw and Reese and Hersh walking down the sidewalk, and Hersh says “So, we’re going to 23rd & 5th because…” and Shaw and Reese say in unison, “it’s complicated.”
And that’s when Shaw stops in the middle of the street and makes this face
because the answer to Hersh’s question was basically “because Root
said so” and they’re both so used to it by now and trust her and there’s
a fondness to their exasperation at how “it’s complicated” and Shaw has
been stewing about Root going into a Decima fortress alone already, but
the moment she answers Hersh’s question she stops and can’t go on with
the mission without doing something to help Root. She just realized that
she enjoys Root’s complications and she wants her to stick around, and it disturbs her to think that she might not.
And Shaw’s not going to let that happen, blackout and impossible odds be damned. So I think that this episode was pivotal for their respective feelings about each other, with Root tripping and falling in love and with Shaw grumbling and accepting that Root is a part of her life she actively wants to keep.
I think Shaw’s acceptance of her wanting to keep Root in her life in some capacity beyond her typical level of attachment to the people she lets in, happened in Prophets or Honor Among Thieves, or maybe a slightly more gradual process between the two episodes. In Prophets there’s that moment where we see Shaw having an unusually emotional reaction to the thought that Root’s dead - I’m talking Shaw emotional, where she actually fucking pulls up short and stops and stares blankly into nothingness at the bomb Finch just dropped on her.
We haven’t seen her react like that to something, and I think that whatever she’s feeling in that moment would have been something that tipped her off that Root really does mean more to her than she’s used to caring about people. So by the time Honor Among Thieves rolls around, she gets this attractive offer from an attractive guy and instead seeks out Root when all is said and done.
I’m sure Shaw knew something of the extent of Root’s feelings by then, hence her teasing about staying for the things she cares about here. But I don’t think Shaw fully realizes Root actually loves her until the moment in If Then Else when she turns around in the elevator and sees the look in Root’s eyes. Root’s awareness of Shaw’s attachment is something I’m more unsure of. She obviously knows that Shaw’s grumbliness is just Shaw being Shaw and that she likes having Root around, but I don’t know that she’d dare assume anything without Shaw explicitly saying it or acting on it. The progression of their relationship has always been up to Shaw, because Root’s not going to press the issue and make Shaw uncomfortable or angry - which is why that “maybe someday” simulation in If Then Else is so fucking heartbreaking, because it’s only when Root knows she’s about to die that she presses the issue, and the knowledge that Shaw feels their connection too is enough to make her smile the biggest lovey dovey smile we’ve seen her smile.
So their conversation just before Shaw sacrifices herself in the elevator would probably be the most that Root’s let herself think that Shaw shares her affection. And even with that and the kiss and everything that happens in the second half of S4, I think Root would still err on the side of not assuming anything about Shaw’s feelings about her, and whatever happens between them when Shaw gets back will be up to Shaw. (Aside from whatever tearful reunion hugging/punching/whatever might occur when they’re first reunited, anyway.)
quora is one of the most terrifying social networks on earth which i think is why all the most powerful posters can be found there
bless this woman Bonnie Wingate. this little piece of short nonfiction brings tears to my eyes every time i stop to read it through
[Image ID: A Quora post by Bonnie Wingate, Alpha Female (1954 - present):
We raise Corsican sheep. When the lambs are several weeks old they often form what we’ve come to call lamb gangs. This involves three to six lambs close in age and size tearing around the pasture, chasing each other, rolling down hills, and basically amusing themselves giving the moms a break. Frequently an ewe will want to check on her missing miscreant, uh I mean her precious darling, and bay out. The beckoned lamb will break off from the gang. Often reluctantly and amble back to mom. Is the ewe calling her baby by name? Of course not. But everything recognizes the sound of their own mother’s voice. “And boy, you better get here, NOW.”
And I pose the question, is there anyone who has more than one cat who has not asked that cat where the other cat is. “Ralfie. Where is Janey?” He knows precisely who he is. He knows who I mean. His response of course is an indifferent eye blink. “Can’t you see I’m busy here? I’m looking out this window. You want her, you go look. I got stuff to stare at.”
And dogs. A different kinda ‘cat’ altogether. Our border collie could be given the name of another dog, as in “Go get Charlie.” Or give him the name of a specific kid, “Get Tom”. And Laddie would return with that named creature. Many times the summoned was reluctant, but border collies are tenacious and terrific herders. Could he pick the right boy out of a group of boys and tug on his jacket until Tom followed him back to the house. Of course.
I have nursed and raised and returned many different kinds of foundlings to the wild. I have named all of them but I have always lamented the fact that I can’t at least approximate the sounds their mother called them. Particularly in the early days when they are hurt, or sick, or orphaned. Do any of these animals understand language as humans do? No. Their minds aren’t wired that way. I have had many non-human friends. These are not and have never been pets. They live their lives, I live mine and like any pairing of friends we’re delighted to spend time in each other’s company. Thomas the crow knew the sound I made when I greeted him. Same with Toll Fox and Hop-a-long. I just wish I could do the polite thing (by my standards) and address them with the sound by which they knew themselves.
