What if Callisto killed Xena?

Re: What if Callisto killed Xena?

feeds@yuku.com (DeborahKizzy) — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 09:38:57 GMT

LadyKate63 wrote:
Partly because I do think that Callisto takes some interest in Gabrielle independently of Xena, starting with Return of Callisto -- she both envies and hates Gabrielle's purity.

I agree with that LK. I always thought that perhaps Callisto had a different kind of hate for Gabrielle because it was almost ironic. Gabrielle was just as Callisto used to be before Xena killed her...

Re: What if Callisto killed Xena?

feeds@yuku.com (Lizou06) — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 03:24:42 GMT

For me, it depends on when this would happen.

If Callisto had killed Xena in Callisto or Return of Callisto, I think she would have felt utterly disappointed at how easy it would have been - in a "this is all it takes to kill Xena, warrior princess, destroyer of nations?" sort of way. I think it would have angered Callisto even more to realise that the murderer of her family wasn't such a...

Re: What if Callisto killed Xena?

feeds@yuku.com (xenawp7706) — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 03:11:55 GMT

I think at that point Callisto wouldn't have any reason to live, because her game with Xena was going to be over. Callisto's real intentions were not to kill Xena, but to play with her, torturing her, make her have the same treatment she had. Ending that, there was no reason to live for her anymore. No redemption.

Re: What if Callisto killed Xena?

feeds@yuku.com (LadyKate63) — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 00:26:19 GMT

Ah, good point, toxic64! Except that by then, Callisto herself was dead... I think she actually expected Xena to join her in the afterlife.

Very interesting scenarios, everyone! I don't quite see Calli pursuing redemption, unless she decided that she wanted to repeat Xena's path. Which would be a kind of interesting scenario, given that Callisto wanted to "be" Xena on some level.

I definitely could see Callisto provoking Gabrielle into...

Re: What if Callisto killed Xena?

feeds@yuku.com (Daughter of Tiaran) — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 23:26:10 GMT

I think Callisto's reaction would be fairly similar to when she had killed Solan--a moment of ecstatic joy at finally fulfilling her goal, followed by emptiness as she realized that...she *had* achieved her goal, and nothing had changed for her. Not only that but she had lost her life's purpose.

I second AB in that I don't see her reforming as a result of this. In canon, killing Solan and realizing it meant nothing didn't make Callisto want to reform; it only made...

Re: What if Callisto killed Xena?

feeds@yuku.com (toxic64) — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 22:46:59 GMT

Tecnically, Callisto did ill Xena. Had Callisto not severed Xena's spine in IOM, Xena & Gabrielle wouldn't have died. Those soldiers were no match for our WP.

Re: What if Callisto killed Xena?

feeds@yuku.com (dahllaz) — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 21:56:55 GMT

LadyKate63 wrote:
Oh, and dahllaz, your 100th post! congratulations, First Citizen!

Thanks! Took me long enough! Ha!

Re: What if Callisto killed Xena?

feeds@yuku.com (Aresbitch) — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 19:47:06 GMT

I think the same thing that happened in Maternal Instincts - she'd feel fierce joy at first, then plunging despair and emptiness. She might just numbly go about, not really engaging, but without the focus of her insanity (Xena, and killing her), she'd just decompensate completely, and throw herself into the next lava pit she came to.

The one thing I couldn't see Callisto doing is trying to atone or redeem herself in the aftermath. She was too far gone for that, imo,...

Re: What if Callisto killed Xena?

feeds@yuku.com (MoyCullen) — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 19:09:27 GMT

Callisto's entire focus was on Xena. All of her actions were to get to Xena--killing villagers while pretending to be Xena, attempting to kill Gabrielle, killing Gabrielle's husband. Her victims are completely irrelevant to her other than using their deaths to torment Xena. She likely would have felt momentary elation at finally vanquishing Xena but immediately, her entire reason for being would immediately cease. I don't believe she'd go after Gabrielle. She didn't give...

Re: What if Callisto killed Xena?

feeds@yuku.com (LadyKate63) — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 06:02:05 GMT

!!!!!!!!!!

Not necessarily... she'd still have 6 or 7 lives left.

Re: What if Callisto killed Xena?

feeds@yuku.com (rsine69) — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 05:56:16 GMT

What if Callisto killed Xena?

Then that would be the end of the show.

Re: What if Callisto killed Xena?

feeds@yuku.com (miss18) — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 05:28:19 GMT

That would be some kind of interesseting scenario.

Callisto's life was all about Xena. Her only concern was making Xena's live a living hell.
If Xena had died, i think she would have felt empty. She would try to mess up Gabrielle by making her a killer, something Xena would hate to see.
She would properly do that by getting herself killed by Gabrielle. Just like dahllaz said a twisted revenge on Xena, by getting Gabrielle to become a...

Re: What if Callisto killed Xena?

feeds@yuku.com (LyricSplat) — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 01:48:41 GMT

Well, you have a much clearer way of phrasing things than I do, LK.

It's an interesting question though. I can imagine Callisto being euphoric watching the light fade from Xena's eyes, but I can also see Xena offering her a faint smile. Sympathy, empathy; something haunting and true. I think that in the moment death takes Xena, Callisto would also stop breathing.

And then?
My initial thought on what she would...

Re: What if Callisto killed Xena?

feeds@yuku.com (Little Godling) — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 01:45:47 GMT

If she did succeed that would be amazing. I believe she wouldn't commit suicide. I am not really sure what she would do.

Re: What if Callisto killed Xena?

feeds@yuku.com (DurgisFlak) — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 23:19:49 GMT

I see it, just for the sake of irony, as a cyclic thing. Perhaps she'd have continued her warlording, but not have the same thirst for it. Then some major event could happen and she realises she's become the monster she hated. After this she would have started her own journey of redemption.

Re: What if Callisto killed Xena?

feeds@yuku.com (LadyKate63) — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 23:17:10 GMT

Unless....Gabrielle went all vengeful again but now didn't have that restraining factor Xena provided when Callisto killed Perdicus and then she would actually kill Callisto. I still don't really see Callisto trying that hard in that fight either, for two reasons.
First: same as above - Xena was her reason and without that she just doesn't really care.
Two: a last bit of twisted revenge on Xena, by getting her little friend to become a killer and...

Re: What if Callisto killed Xena?

feeds@yuku.com (dahllaz) — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 23:12:17 GMT

Would she be momentarily ecstatic but then feel empty, like she did after Solan's death?

That's how I see it. I don't see her committing suicide directly, nor taking on some impossible task. It'd be more mundane than that.
She'd continue warlording about, but be quite listless about it and not really trying in fights. Just going through the motions and then some smuck would get lucky and that'd be the ignoble end for poor Callisto....

What if Callisto killed Xena?

feeds@yuku.com (LadyKate63) — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 22:23:48 GMT

This was actually brought up by LyricSplat in the Theodorus rate-a-character thread, but Splatterly is shy about starting a new thread, so... I'll do it for her.

Suppose Callisto had actually succeeded in killing Xena -- let's say, at the end of Callisto during the ladder fight. Or after that chariot chase in Return of Callisto. Let's...