i guess my somewhat controvertial take of the day is that i don't think cash was regularly physically abusive to blitzo.
don't get me wrong, cash was an abusive pos in many ways. he certainly seemed to not care a lot about blitzo's safety, considering what he made him do. and he was manipulative, neglectful, and didn't bother hiding how little he thinks of his son from said son.
but i do think the introductions of paimon and cash in 'the circus' was set up to show us the type of abuse blitzo and stolas went through as kids, and if they wanted to establish cash as physically abusive on top of all of that, they'd have put it there. but they didn't.
in contrast, paimon was established as physically abusive.
look at blitzo's reaction to paimon hitting stolas. he looks startled and disturbed. it doesn't look like something he's familiar with.
on top of that, blitzo never seems afraid of cash when he talks to him, even as a kid. when cash gets up in his face, blitzo only looks more defiant.
blizo only looks fearful at the prospect of being caught by the goetia. cash tried to dismiss those fears, and while he's not comforting blitzo in the slightest, it doesn't seem like cash himself is the source of the fear.
this is the complete opposite to stolas, who, while seemingly happy to get a visit from his dad, actually flinches back and raises his arms in defense every time paimon gets closer to him.
yes, there is no one right way to react to abuse. but i still think it's clear that it's a handy, short visual way to establish a pattern of physical abuse, and it wasn't established in cash & blitzo's case.
i think this incident of physical violence is probably all the more memorable and painful for blitzo because it wasn't typical. the memory of cash slapping a freshly-burnt blitzo is intentionally placed after the memory of blitzo finding his mom's pendant.
realizing his mother is dead. feeling the crushing grief and guilt. having to break the news to his father. seeing him this angry and violent for the first time in his life. more grief and guilt. his mother is truly dead, he's truly alone, and it feels like it's all his own fault. like he deserved that.
no wonder he makes that face.
romaincrisis
blakekathryn
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