~ originally posted as a 10-comment string on my main, @Kandy25, moved here from @silverlininq by popular request XD all of these accounts are mine ~ hi guys- I’ve decided to bring you a little PSA- (aka me telling you all the reasons I ship sokeefe and not sophitz- I will argue both points) pLeAsE this is my opinion, I understand that other opinions are valid too. We can still be friends if you don’t agree <33 just thought I’d throw out all the facts here so that maybe you can pick up on some things that you maybe didn’t before ;) LET’S GET STARTED! *claps* ALSO- MAJOR MAJOR SPOILERS FOR ALL EIGHT KOTLC BOOKS- PLEASE READ THEM FIRST
hello, friends! So, to start off, I’m going to argue the point “why not Sophitz?” If you don’t know (but you SHOULD cuz you’re not reading this if you haven’t read the series- RiGhT?!) Sophitz is the ship name for Fitz and Sophie. I don’t have much to argue for the beginning of the series- the ship is fine, and I don’t have real objections (I do think Keefe is better, but we shall get to that later) Where I /really/ have a problem is the bonus scene at the beginning of Flashback (It’s called “The Talk” if you haven’t read it already-) Brief overview: Alden comes to the Shores of Solace to tell Keefe that he should back off and let Fitz and Sophie “be happy”. Not only is this straight-up angering, it’s also manipulative- here’s why: Keefe’s family situation is pretty unstable. Neither of his parents are supportive (one is evil, the other one is constantly insulting) and Alden is one of his only trusted adult figures. Alden knows this, and tells Keefe that he is “like a son.” Now, these words may seem to be comforting, but Alden’s implication is that Keefe should do what Alden tells him because he knows what’s best and cares for Keefe, who longs for parental affection. BUT, look at the context- this conversation is really Alden trying to appease Fitz, who is angry at him for his decision on Alvar. Keefe, of course, is going to do what Alden days, because he truly believes that Alden cares and Keefe wants his friends to be happy (because he’s selfless). If Alden had truly believed that Sophie and Fitz were right for each other, he shouldn’t have had to interfere. Sophitz was already shaping up to happen. So... somewhere inside himself, Alden must’ve realized that Sophie and Fitz weren’t as perfect together as they seemed... but let’s move on: throughout Flashback, Sophie and Fitz grow closer and share some... *moments*, shall we say... One of these moments happens in the reception hall of the Vacker mansion around the topic of match lists and Winnowing Galas. Fitz’s “confession” happens when he tells Sophie that he wants her to be on his lists. Now, yes, you can argue that this is sweet. But... “I want your name to be on my approved list so that we can move on in this relationship” is not the same thing as “I want to be with you” Fitz purposefully puts in the caveat that he wants her “on his list”. Not just her. He’s always prioritizing his family’s status, and he doesn’t stop in this scene. At the end of Flashback, Sophie finds out her status as “unmatchable” and worries how Fitz will react. Instead of comfort, he starts out angry with her for going to Keefe before him. This, my friends, is an extremely controlling relationship. Sophie should not be blocked off from telling her friends things before telling Fitz. He flips his attitude once he hears about the search for her parents, displaying, once again, his prioritization of his status. He offers to help with the search, but only because it will help Sophie gain back a “matchable” status so that the relationship can continue. He doesn’t do it because he wants to help Sophie or ease some of her emotional distress (which is exactly why Keefe is helping her, but we’ll get to that later.) We further see this selfishness when he discovers Sophie’s mother is Oralie. He knows that Sophie can now never be matchable, and the argument over his prioritization of his status over her eventually leads to them breaking up and pledging to stay friends. Now, this is one of the best possible outcomes in my opinion. Sophie has realized that Fitz’s love for her was dependent on her status. Yes, he cared about her, but not enough to overlook what being with her would do to his reputation. Sophie understands that they aren’t meant to be, just like she showed with Dex in one of the most awkward scenes- ever- Now, we address: “why Keefe?” Well, even if you set aside all of his amazing humor and iconic-ness, Keefe truly cares for Sophie. No “buts”, no caveats, no “I want you to be on my list”. He just cares. I could provide countless examples of this. For instance, when he went to the Neverseen to protect her and helped her in her search to find her biological parents. But the ultimate sacrifice? Stepping aside because he truly believed that Sophie and Fitz loved each other and wanted to be together. He wanted his friends to be happy. And when that didn’t work out, he comforted Sophie. He’s always been there, providing support and being Sophie’s rock, even when his family life is in complete turmoil and he maybe needs comfort even more than she does. And honestly? /That’s/ the reason I ship Sokeefe. I support the relationship built on care and support, not the one filled with caveats and other priorities. So argue all you want, Sokeefe is better. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk. *bows*
