i think i did say (or at least suggest) it in my original post (which was about which brother would save which in a life or death situation) and in the sister au follow up post, but i want to say again: i don't think the twins mean to do it.
i don't think they mean to leave lester out of their world or leave him behind. i think they love him, and care about him. but, there has always been an unspoken and inexplicable divide between them.
it's always been "the twins" and then lester. bo and vincent have always come together as a unit, whether they like it or not. even as kids with all the competition and rivalry, on a regular basis i can see them being lumped together because what are they if not a joint package.
plus, after the trauma they experienced as children and with the deaths (or murders, if you’re that way inclined) of their parents, i think bo and vincent probably fell into a cycle of co-dependency worse than they ever had as children -- they’ve always had each other and i think they see it as the other twin having to stay with them, no matter what. and it makes sense, sort of. i think most people in a situation like the sinclairs would choose to stay with the person they felt 100% confident would never leave them, right?
bo and vincent wouldn't hesitate to save the other before anyone else, not out of cruelty to lester but out of an undying and unbreakable loyalty to each other. this is something lester learnt a long, long time ago.
lester, the twins think, can leave them. and they're right. he does leave. he leaves and it is a move that both benefits him (he isn't dragged into the twins very specific brand of self destruction) and makes things worse for himself (inadvertently pushes the twins away). when lester moved out of the house, it worsened the growing echo chamber that vince and bo had backed themselves into. it had been like that for a while but once there isn't a third person to break up their discussions, all they do is reinforce each others thoughts. i've mentioned before but: lester is a people person, the twins are not. for most intents and purposes, they find it too time consuming/boring/pointless to talk to other people in any meaningful way. even lester can't keep up with them so they don't try so much because they don't have to anymore.
anyway, enough about the twins and onto lester.
i feel like lester has a lot of acquaintances and friends outside of ambrose, but this is to make up for not always having had one person he could really, genuinely rely on. lester needs someone who will put him first because, to be honest, no one ever has. not his parents, not his brothers. no one has ever put lester first.
through no fault of his own, merely by the circumstances he was born into, lester became independent very early on. he was out and about exploring by the time he was in elementary school and once he got to middle school he'd stay over at the houses of the few solid friends he did have. after that, he could get along with most people. after high school when he started working for the county, he lost touch with a lot of people, which is why he developed the habit of talking to most everyone he came across. he's willing to hep people out, even if under false pretences, just so i can have some interaction. he can go to bars and make friends for the evening, knowing fully he likely won't see them again but being content enough.
lester needs someone who will put him first, because no one else does. he's a disposable friend and, sometimes, he fears -- knows -- he's a disposable brother.
It’s definitely incomprehensible to imagine the emotions Vincent felt when Nick poured the boiling wax and flames immediately bursted out. To think that, a museum he and his parents spent years on, gone in almost an instant because of some camper must’ve been the worst disappointment he has ever felt in his life. Not only was he slowly walking through the museum as it melted, but he watched Carly beat Bo’s face in with flames slowly engulfing everything. I have a feeling that Vincent immediately gave up and just started chasing Carly out of pure rage. He knew it was over.
A lot of these are about their backstory so trigger warning for mentions of abuse. This starts with stuff about their past and eventually explores their dynamic as adults. Also this is long as fuck. A lotttt of trauma but there is some wholesome stuff if you squint.
- They killed their parents. It was something they always feared they'd have to do if things ever got too bad. Trudy did have something up with her brain at the time and she did go crazy because of it, but the whole thing just made her and Victor more abusive towards the boys and they genuinely couldn't take it anymore. They decided it was the perfect time to end everything. They both killed whichever parent had a bigger hold over the other. Trudy ruined Vincent's self image by constantly making him wear a mask, she neglected his speech issues because apparently he didn't have to talk or be seen because his talent made up for all that. She put pressure on him to he the better twin and did everything she could to make him dislike Bo. Victor came up with the idea to restrain Bo to his highchair whenever he "acted like a monster". He told Bo he was ashamed to have him as a son and that he'd never make his mother proud no matter what he did. He made multiple wax masks of his own face for Vincent to wear when he got older because he hated the idea of Vincent resembling Bo (That's why there's so many masks in his office). Bo did Vincent a favour by blowing Trudy's brains out. Vincent did Bo a favour by strangling Victor in his sleep and ending it by snapping his neck.
- Bo ran to Vincent and sobbed in his arms after they killed their parents. Vincent had no physical reaction. Instead he went numb, stayed spaced out for weeks and avoided conversations even more than he already did.
- Each time Ambrose gets visitors and they ask about the history of the town or the wax museum Bo tells a different story as to what happened. In the script he says the Sinclair's house burnt down and their father didn't survive, their mother blew her brains out because she couldn't deal with the loss and the kids ended up in foster homes. Other times he tells the story from the movie. Sometimes he even says that the whole family were murdered.
- At one point Vincent was almost taken to a foster home. When the twins were 16 neighbours reported that the Sinclair's had a "freak kid" who they thought was being neglected and hidden away from the world (They were kinda right) But if Vincent was taken away he would have most likely ended up being placed into an asylum for mentally/physically disabled adults once he turned 18, and Bo knew this. Bo lost his shit and screamed the house down when authorities showed up to do a welfare check. Literally got on his knees and begged them not to take his brother. He threatened them with his life, grabbed onto Vincent and heald him so tight he almost suffocated him because he thought they'd just grab him and leave. He genuinely managed to convince them that Vincent would be fine to stay with his family. They saw Bo's scene and thought "Well his brother clearly loves him, he's clearly taken care of, those neighbours must have been exaggerating" and they left. (Typical for CPS to drop a case and shrug off every reason as to why the family was reported.) But from that day forward Bo had a horrible fear of losing Vincent. He got really strict about him leaving Ambrose without him. He didn't even like the idea of Vincent casually being around town or the house when visitors showed up. He has to stay hidden and can only come out if he's killing somebody. It's not worth the risk.
- When the twins were kids Vincent would often sneak Bo food or undo his restraints whenever their parents left him in the chair for too long. He'd sneak into his room to hang out with him and patch up any injuries Victor had inflicted on him. That's how Vincent developed his sneaking around skills which made him into a good stalker.
- Bo is actually pretty good at art. He read a lot of comics as a kid and tried to make his own. He kept them hidden in his room because he was embarrassed about it and because he knew that if his parents ever found them they'd just accuse him of trying to be like Vincent to get on their good side. Vincent always told Bo that he had potential, but Bo never believed it. He took that as Vincent trying to pity him for not being as good as him. He gave up on his comics and dropped all of his hobbies because every time he did literally anything all he could think about was how Vincent could definitely do it better.
- Bo has PTSD from being abused and he suffers with night terrors. He'll have dreams where he's a kid again, strapped to his highchair and he'll literally feel the burn on his wrists as he struggles to break free. He sits up still unconscious and starts screaming bloody murder. Vincent has to run into his room and hold him in his arms until he wakes up. Sometimes he doesn't remember what happened and he tells Vincent to go away so he can get back to sleep, other times he opens his eyes and starts panicking. He'll pull his sleeves up to check his wrists and he'll start hyperventilating, telling Vincent that he could feel and see the dream as if it were real. He asks where mom and dad are and if they're upset at him. He begs Vincent not to let daddy tie him up anymore. Vincent has to keep telling him that he's safe and that ma and daddy are well gone. Bo gets really embarrassed once he snaps back to reality, he probably won't say much the following day.
- Vincent feels extremely guilty about their childhood. Each time he sees Bo's wrist scars he feels sick. Those should be on his arms instead. It's not fair that Bo had to be punished when really they're both just as bad as each other. He always wonders what Bo genuinely thinks of him. Vincent loves his brother, but he's not sure if Bo likes him. He wouldn't blame him if he didn't. He tries not to let it get to him though. Once their parents were killed Bo told Vincent that he didn't care about the past anymore, and Vincent hopes that he meant it.
- Bo on the other hand feels guilty for throwing his life away. He's the twin that "got lucky". None of his scars are visible, he can speak well, nobody would ever know he was born conjoined to his brother and surgically separated unless he told them about it. He should appreciate that more. He should have done something better with his life. But instead he gave up everything and became a danger to society. Sometimes he stands in the mirror and covers the right side of his face, wondering what it would be like if the roles were switched. He's sure that if Vincent was the normal looking twin he wouldn't take it for granted. He would have probably went to art school and he'd probably even be famous by now. But instead all the luck went to the twin who'd never do anything with his life.
- They both constantly feel like something is missing. And they know that it's each other. Sometimes Bo wishes they were never separated. Vincent on the other hand is glad that they were, but telling Bo that would hurt him. They never discuss it.
- They sleep in the same bed sometimes. Vincent puts the scarred side of his face against Bo's head where they were once connected and he holds onto him. They don't say much to each other as they lay like that, and they won't discuss it the next day. Sometimes they just need to be connected. Bo actually never shoves Vincent away when he wants to be physically close with him. It's how they were always meant to be after all.
- Their relationship is abusive on both ends.
- Bo can get really mean during arguments. He'll insult the hell out of Vincent and mock him, straight up bully him even. But he always feels horrible after. He'll apologise by showering Vincent in praise, telling him his arts looking good and that Ma would be proud. Vincent can hear the panic in Bo's voice as he tries to get back on his good side. Vincent's well aware that the way Bo acts isn't normal, there's definitely some disorder there, most likely personality/mood related. He never stays mad at Bo. No insult could ever hurt as badly as everything that Bo went through to end up this way. Vincent could reassure him that he's not upset for hours on end and Bo would still be looking at him with uncertainty in his eyes, asking if he's sure. He promises Vincent that it won't happen again, but they both know it will. Bo asks Vincent, "Am I just like daddy?" And oh fuck he really is, but Vincent says no. He tells him if he was really like Victor, he would have killed him long ago.
- Vincent is also pretty bad. Sometimes when they argue he tells Bo he'll make him shut up, or "You wouldn't be able to call me a freak if you were stuck under wax" - hinting at the fact that he'd injure or even wax Bo if he pushed him far enough. (He wouldn't actually do it, but considering how violent Vincent is, Bo doesn't know if he should be scared or not). If Bo insults Vincent he won't hesitate to throw an object in his direction. If Bo accidentally damages one of Vincent's wax sculptures oh shit is he in for it. Vincent will grab him and shove him away, then force him to clean it up or to leave the room because he doesn't trust him to be around anything. If Bo refuses to clean up whatever he broke Vincent will literally scream at him (or force out whatever sound he can make to sound louder) and threaten him until he does. Vincent has heald a knife to his throat on one occasion, when he accidentally knocked a sculpture in the museum over and it's whole head cracked open. He'll scold him for being a clutz and will give him the silent treatment for the rest of the day, or until whatever got broken gets fixed. Vincent's way of apologising is literally just saying "I'm sorry", but it's usually followed by "I wouldn't have even done that if you had just shut up/been more careful". Because let's face it, most of their arguments would definitely be started by Bo.
- Bo has a drinking problem in a way where he believes that if he chugs alcohol it'll make him groggy, which means he won't have the energy to yell at or hurt Vincent if he gets into a bad mood.
- The first and last time Vincent ever got drunk was the day he waxed his mother's body and left her up in the church. He stole Bo's whisky and took swigs of it between each detail he added to her waxed corpse. Vincent isn't a crier but he wanted to break down the whole time. Each time he felt like he was going to he hit himself and went upstairs to find more booze. Before all this he swore to Bo that he was okay and he could get the job done fast. Bo never found out Vincent stole his alcohol til a few nights later. He never said anything to him about it. And Vincent was so fucked from the amount he drank that he genuinely didn't remember any of it. Days and weeks passed but not a single image of his mother during the waxing process ever popped up in his memories, which was a good thing.
- Sometimes when Bo can't sleep in the house he goes to the church. He sits in the pew closest to his mother's body. He doesn't say anything to her. It's like when he sits there amongst all the other waxed people his mind goes blank. The reality of his life choices hit him, but it doesn't feel like anything. It's just a silent acceptance that he truly is a monster just like his parents always said he was. On top of all that Bo genuinely thinks that God hates him and every single bad thing that's ever happened to him was because for some unknown reason he deserved it. Church was always his least favourite place, he knows that sitting there is the only way to make his brain shut off. Sometimes he falls asleep in the pew. Sometimes Vincent will notice that he isn't in his room and he'll go up to the church and sit in the back row for the entire night as Bo sleeps. He talks to his mother in his head. Telling her that all the bodies are mainly there because of him and that if she makes her way into Bo's dreams, he'll find a way to let her down. The one thing he told her he'd never do.
- Although Bo is a few seconds older than Vincent and was always considered the eldest, he still sees Vincent as his big brother. He'll never tell him that though. But Vincent was genuinely the closest thing Bo ever had to a mother/father figure. His parents never treated his wounds, his parents never supported him, his parents never said they'd do anything to protect him, his parents never heald him after he had a bad day or a nightmare. But Vincent did.
- Bo could have gotten up off the ground and continued fighting when Carly first hit him with the bat. But after the first two blows he just gave up. He assumed that the fire had already taken Vincent, why else was his brother taking so long to come help him? What life was there to fight for if they had already killed his twin? He was still barley alive when Vincent ran into the museum and found him on the ground. The last thing he ever heard were Vincent's painful shrieks.
turnnoffyourmind
romaincrisis
dailybridgerton
