#Dictator downfall stories

[hotnesia]

Dictators Imprisoned by History Records: Execution as the End of a Brutal Regime

Focus Hotnesia – History records that great power often ends in emptiness. Dictators who once ruled with an iron fist and oppressed their people often meet a tragic fate. Execution becomes a painful end for many tyrants trapped by their ambitions and crimes. This article will explore the stories of some infamous dictators who were sentenced to death and the impact of their rule on…

[theweeklydiscourse]

God forbid you ever criticize the lack of consequences Bakugou experiences in MHA, or suddenly you’ll find dozens of Bakugou stans pouring into your mentions to make a speech about how cruel you are for forcing him to eat cement. They’ll act as though “consequences” inherently involves throwing him into the dungeon or putting him in detention for 100 years and then moan about how him facing consequences would only perpetuate a cycle of abuse/discrimination.

Listen, it’s not really that much of a consequence if the “consequence” in question isn’t directly connected to his current or past bad behaviour. “Oh but his scars!” “When he died that one time!” “His guilt for getting kidnapped” None of those are related to his bullying, and in my opinion, that makes them insufficient as consequences in an arc about changing for the better.

The consequences I would actually like to see could be as simple as: Izuku feels sad/mad because of what he went through, or certain characters reflect on how Bakugou’s past impacts their perception of him. More introspection on the victim’s end is needed, Bakugou doesn’t necessarily need to be pilloried for the arc to be satisfying.

[rayroseu]

Now that I think about it, maybe the reason why Malleus' Magic is so powerful, because before he was born he was copiously sustained with powerful magicians like Meleanor, Maleficia, and Lilia.

The egg is born through love but only through magic can that egg finally hatch (that's where Lilia exhausted his magic). Maybe a fae's power is determined to how much magic can their parents "exhaust" in making them born(?).

So, essentially, His magic consists of the magic of powerful mages.

1) Meleanor (as his biological mother),

2) Maleficia (her magic was life support while he was incubated),

and 3) Lilia (who hatched him).

So when we fight Malleus, we are not just simply fighting "Malleus" himself, but rather a lethal culmination of Meleanor, Maleficia, and Lilia's raw power.

That's why it feels so impossible to defeat him because we're essentially fighting three powerful magicians at once, it's just in the form of "Malleus Draconia."

All these magicians have high-profile powerful magic, and all of them are faes too. I often assumed that Malleus was rich in magic because he's a Draconia but no, Meleanor used her full magical strength as well but the story didn't showcase her casting some world altering magic like stopping time and encasing human souls inside a magical barrier— Only Malleus did...

Maybe there's really no person who can defeat him as STYX theorizes... Not even Maleficia. While its true she's powerful, but based on this interpretation, she can fight Malleus, but fighting Malleus is also the same as fighting her magic, mixed with Meleanor's and Lilia's (and Levan's even though we don't know how powerful he is).

Levan is Malleus' father but so far the story doesn't imply nor mention any significant magical contribution he did to Malleus. The only thing mentioned in the story about Levan's influence was that Malleus is a kind/gentle person because of him.

I like to interpret he's powerful too! So maybe, its not just Meleanor, Maleficia, Lilia, but also Levan.... if he got the chance to bless Eggmalleus some magic before he lost. So its actually FIVE HIGH CLASS MAGICIANS were fighting against if we fight Malleus ☠️☠️ That's why he's truly "god-like".

I really like the fact that Malleus is undefeatable even by raw power or raw cleverness (like using technology). I know that's still going to be a big part, but its more intriguing for me to how TWST will handle stopping Malleus without obvious offense.

They'll only need to rely on one thing that humans are really great of practicing (more than faes): communication. Maybe the solution may be as simple as talking to Malleus that he needs to stop lol Because really, at this point, thats the most staple choice we have, anything else takes too much time💔😔

Not in the accusing way, but in a kind and understanding way. But, I know that's unlikely to happen knowing how "cringed" NRC is towards displaying kindness (which is often their downfall lol). But remember, the resolution at the fairy gala event? Where everyone was antagonizing the Diurnal Fairies, assuming they'll be stubborn and that they're thieves so they should take the stone without asking them, but then it turns out once they got caught and Silver talked with them apologetically and with understandingly, the Queen understood it and let the stone go...

Maybe Malleus would act like that Queen too?? After all, no one still talks with him about how "indeed, it is painful to suffer and lost, but there's merit in their existence, so we don't need to cut them out of our lives, because even those painful experiences helps us achieve our true dreams." or just a simple "You won't be alone even if Lilia passes away. I'm sure Lilia will be more happy to live his life and live it longer because he'll be remembered by Malleus even if he's just a memory now." or maybe a blunt "The world doesn't revolve around anyone, so Malleus has no rights to dictate how we should live our lives" lol

I feel like Malleus is just a person who never really thinks about other interpretations unless its been said to him... That's why I'm wishing that Book 7 resolves his overblot by not fully painting him as a "catastrophic dark fae" (like what the humans viewed Meleanor), like there'll be a balance between depicting him as a villain but also as a flawed person.

But yes I do agree that the biggest hurdle in defeating Malleus, may not just be his overpowered magic, but also his defiance in believing that he can understand humanity and humanity will understand him 😭😭

[brrmian]

something that so many star wars fans somehow fail to realize is that george lucas always intended for the fall of the republic to be a completely unavoidable tragedy. that’s what makes it such brilliant storytelling.

placing the blame on just one party in the galaxy-wide farce that was the clone wars just isn’t interpreting the story the way its writer intended. neither is saying that all players should be held equally accountable. i don’t think the jedi were at fault for the state of the republic, and (despite the fact that he did horrible things) neither was anakin, on a galactic or governmental scale.

the real villain is palpatine, who shaped the government into a corrupt system by his own hand. the blame for turning a democratic republic into an authoritarian dictatorship (which it was long before it became the empire) under the noses of thousands of incredibly corrupt politicians must be placed entirely on him, and him alone.

by the end of the war, the jedi council recognized that they had already lost the ability to hold onto what it truly means to be a jedi. in their prime during the days of the old republic, the jedi knights were “the guardians of peace and justice.” they’re meant to as diplomats, peacekeepers, mediators, and public servants. when the clone wars began, they were essentially forced into being soldiers, generals, and quasi-politicians by palpatine and the senate. all of those things are antithetical to the jedi’s beliefs, but they had no other choice.

placing even the smallest bit of blame on the jedi for anything leading to the republic’s downfall—and their own—is not only unfair, it’s factually incorrect. the jedi order is a monastic organization. they have no say in the senate and no voting power. saying they’re corrupt, when in fact they were just as conned by palpatine as the rest of the galaxy, is victim-blaming and scapegoating.

palpatine shoved the jedi face first into fighting the war, and pretty much threw the clone army into their laps on top of that. the jedi had no say in the matter, and they certainly had no say in the war itself being started, either. because he controlled both sides, palpatine was able to make the CIS and the republic declare war on each other even though its citizens wanted the same outcome: political independence and survival. if not for palpatine’s schemes, the separatists would have been allowed to secede peacefully, the republic would have continued existing, and the war would have been completely avoided. but that was unfortunately not the case.

so in a galaxy thrown into an unavoidable war by its own secret dictator, with an army of sentient slaves suddenly at their command, and the risk of billions of deaths at the hands of the droid army imminently approaching, what do the galaxy’s official peacekeepers have no other choice but to do? be peacekeepers. why wouldn’t the sworn defenders of the galaxy be out on the battlefields trying to end the war? if they sat in the temple and did nothing, they simply wouldn’t be jedi.

the jedi were forced into a lose/lose situation. every religion and organization has faults, but that doesn’t place any blame on them for the catch-22 they were trapped into falling for. when the clone wars started—and the key point here is that it never should have in the first place—the jedi still needed to be jedi. unfortunately for them, that meant having positions of power not meant for them being thrust upon their shoulders. they couldn’t drop the burden, because that meant actively choosing not to save lives—but the other option, becoming soldiers despite the tenet of their beliefs that dictates they shouldn’t, was no better.

see what a cruel trap palpatine set? it’s like a fish being caught in a fisherman’s net. the net is spread out across the ocean floor, and the fish swim above it, not knowing that the trap is waiting to be drawn in around them from below. in the end, when the net starts to tighten, dragging them closer to the surface, they can’t swim fast enough to escape from the middle to the edge—and to safety—before the net is completely tied. it’s the cruelest kind of trap: the kind that gives you just the right amount of time to think you can escape while being sprung just quick enough to make actually escaping impossible.

in the end, the order actively chose to fight the war because they needed to. there was no other way to continue on as who they were. militarizing the order was not the right choice in a vacuum, but this was not that; this was a situation in which every galaxy-changing choice was the wrong one. the jedi knew they were making a decision that drew them farther away from their beliefs, but it was the lesser of an infinite list of evils, and they didn’t see the walls closing in on them until it was too late.

lucas himself has even said that the order was not corrupt or decaying from the inside, nor did they make a series of bad choices that ultimately led to their own destruction. they were always just trying to do the right thing—but unlike literally everything else in fiction, the jedi order’s death was completely unaffected by any of the choices they made. no matter what they did, they were always going to lose. the fall of the republic wasn’t caused by its defenders choosing what they saw as the least bad choice. it didn’t come down to any decisions, political or not, that the jedi council made with the limited tools that they had. it certainly didn’t come down to one emotionally unstable twenty-three-year-old’s slow descent into insanity, either. the republic and the jedi would still have been destroyed with or without anakin’s unhinged nervous breakdown.

anakin, just like the order, the republic, and the separatists, was taken advantage of by palpatine. even if a person’s choices are their own, they don’t exist in a vacuum.

anakin would have made better choices if not for palpatine, but he didn’t. the jedi order would have kept the peace if not for palpatine, but no matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t. the republic, and democracy with it, would not have crumbled if not for palpatine. not the order, not anakin, not the separatists, and not the republic.

in the end, they were all just pawns in a decades-spanning plan, one that none of them saw coming until it was too late—and by then, it was already irreversible.

[lemonhemlock]

I actually agree with your opinions on dany but don't you think that her fall arc wouldn't work well nowadays ? I think when Martin was envisioning Dany's story in the 90's, it was meant to be something groundbreaking in the fantasy genre and it certainly would have, had all the books been written and published back to back. But I don't think the backlash to her ending in S8 was just because of the execution. Most people just fundamentally believe that Dany as endgame villain is misogynistic.

hmmmm i actually think that having white saviour dany turn megalomaniac dictator is a message we desperate need in these times because it helps deconstruct whiteness and offer a more profound take on feminism than most media we get served today

as you can see from my recent anons, there is a very deep-seated refusal or fear or laziness or idek what to call it from dany/targ stans to engage with intersectionality even at the most basic level! i've brought up this concept so many times that i sound like a broken record (and i don't purport to be any kind of scholar on the matter) but so, so many of them (even when they're well-intentioned!) just cannot seem to surpass this "if also victim how can not 100% right" mentality in regards to dany.

you must be familiar by now with the never ending chorus of bemoaning girlboss feminism and wanting complex & unpalatable women on screen but not being able to stand it in practice when female characters are not perfect. in the books, dany would have the most slow burn downfall arc and a ton of pages devoted to her innermost thoughts and character progression so that you could see exactly how a combination of idealism and entitlement can turn valiant crusaders with a lot of power into authoritarians who need to impose their world view at all costs. how dangerous it can be to believe that you're the repository of truth and justice!

let's also put it this way: think back to the season 3 finale and remember detergent white daenerys surrounded by a sea of faceless brown people in awe of her and calling her mhysa....

... and then you'd have the author tell you that this was supposed to be played straight and there is no subversion at all? those silly monolithic ethnics just needed an aryan princess coming from a long line of blood purity inbreeding to liberate them! how could that be an up-to-date feminism message in 2024? for that reason alone it's supremely out of touch. when has this ever even been a thing? 'white woman bravely frees slaves'. are white women historically known to have fought for human rights concerning other minoritized groups? it would be a pretty condescending message to put in your best-selling book if you ask me

[fadelbison]

I really had to read with my own two eyes multiple times since this post had multiple people add on to it, bringing it back to my dash again and again, that the drama from Tharn and Phaya's past life did not feel dramatic at all. And somehow that detracts from taking the drama of the present as seriously as the show is taking it. This story is based on Thai folklore? The Naga and Garuda are eternal enemies. The love between a Naga and a Garuda is an insult to the literal cosmic order. Chalothon who was only trying to preserve the natural order has been wronged by their love. The natural order is also referenced several times but especially when the priest was like keep Phaya and Chalothon away from each other, they're destined to be enemies. Not meeting the show halfway to accepting this as part of your lens as an audience is frankly...an interesting choice to make. The next bit is pure conjecture on account of me not being Thai but I'm trying to relate to what The Sign is likely trying to do from my own understanding of Asian folklore and the way we use those stories to build new stories. What is there to get out of this show other than the big fuck you to 'natural order' of things that must be because of the way that they are. Why can't a Naga and Garuda be in love? This must be a concept that people explore under the general lens of forbidden love in Thailand (pure conjecture but also like I don't know how it can't be true). We all have our poorly explained versions of Forbidden Love gone bad; Romeo and Juliet, Ram Leela, Devdas would be some heterosexual stories of Forbidden Love that kind of hand waves around the forbidden part a little bit that I'm familiar with. Devdas (the story I'm most familiar with of the one's stated) and its myriad adaptations is a story about the absolute ways we hold on to class even as it brings about our own downfall.

It's a great pick for a queer adaptation because the reasons why the lovers couldn't be together was so made up and really came down to ONE person (Devdas' mother) who just couldn't let go of class even though everyone else was literally begging for the two to just be together because let me tell you none of you have met a poor little meow meow on the scale of Devdas.

The Sign is bringing the forbidden love between a Naga and Garuda as a parallel of the forbidden love between two men. Homosexuality outside of the legal sphere really does come down to an ideological difference as to what is natural vs not. Homosexuality goes against a natural order of reproduction. And this is true. Two men cannot reproduce, two women cannot reproduce with each other.

The challenge isn't to prove that they can, it's to prove that reproduction isn't the centerpoint of human life, that we have transcended the need for our life to be dictated by this 'natural' order because on principal our societies just aren't built along the paradigm of 'survival of the fittest' where the benchmark of species fitness is its ability to reproduce.

Thai shows including things that have come out of Idol Factory (that produces The Sign) are often socially engaged with LGBT rights within Thailand. Now that gay marriage is legal or on its way to be, I assume a move in the direction of bringing same sex relationships up to the same societal respect as straight relationships would be a natural direction that future screenwriters will go.

The Sign is trying very hard to take the question of homosexuality right to the heart of Thai culture and tradition and talk about it from that lens [this is less conjecture and more paraphrasing what Saint has said about the show in interviews] And I know that you all are capable of meeting a story halfway in respecting its desire to set up the stakes through references of allegorical story telling since y'all have been doing it with Last Twilight and Le Petit Prince. So I don't know even know why I had to make this post but: tl;dr: The stakes of the love between Tharn and Phaya and the forbidden nature of it is set before you even see much of the show just from the fact that Tharn is a Naga and Phaya is a Garuda and as a member of the audience you have to accept that the love between Naga and Garuda is a deviant form of love in Thai culture.

[soullessjack]

okay now that maws has officially introduced the evil alternate superman concept into the show I think it’s necessary to point out that across nearly every dc media revolving around Superman going rogue (not including ones where his upbringing is changed) the tipping point for his every downfall is almost always the death of Lois Lane.

Superman The Animated Series - Brave New Metropolis - Lois is doing a story on Intergang and getting too close to exposing them, so they bomb her car. Clark takes this as a realization that he’s fighting a war, and so has to take extreme measures to protect people; these extreme measures include teaming up with Lex Luthor for the sake of his vast resources and establishing a dystopian police state within Metropolis, however it’s important to note that Luthor abused his newfound authority to that dystopian extent, and Clark was genuinely unaware of the city’s true conditions.

Injustice - The Joker tricks Superman into killing [a pregnant] Lois and destroying Metropolis by detonating a nuclear bomb she is strapped to. Superman goes mad with grief and rage, kills the Joker in that infamous fist-through-the-chest-heart-ripping panel, and continues to slowly deteriorate into an amoral dictator over the course of five years. Eventually he establishes a borderline-fascist regime called One Force Earth, ironically intended to “enforce global peace,” but at the cost of the entire world’s personal freedoms (STAS also had an episode about this, featuring Mala and General Zod as the dictators in question).

MAWS is heavily focused on Clark and Lois’ relationship and his status as an alien as elements of his becoming Superman–and given that we’ve already been shown glimpses of the multiverse, alternate Super-tyrants, and an entire legion of Loises who more or less survived their respective Clarks, I think it’s very possible that some of the Soups we see in Mxy’s orb are Supermen who’ve either lost their Loises or their upbringing with the Kents—Supermen who have utterly lost or utterly lacked the very elements that this show emphasizes as being what makes Clark who he is, and I think it would add so much more tension between Clark and Lois and the rest of the world to know that their safety and his sanity basically hinges on this one woman he’s fallen into major puppy-love with.

[atlas7seo]

Arcane Season 2 spoilers***

Bruh I love Caitlyn so much. She has rocketed up to be my favorite. It's really refreshing to see people letting their characters be bad. Like I love me a good redemption arc, but downfall arcs just hit different ya know? She's grieving and her reaction just felt so realistic! You can see how her mindset slowly changes. She knows about how one person can make you form an us vs them mentality. Cait makes it clear to the audience about that effect, but as the act progresses you can see her succumb to the very thing she's trying to avoid.

The most fascinating part is that it feels like the story pivoted where Caitlyn and her mom stand in opposition to each other. In season 1 Caitlyn was more of a moral compass character despite being naive, and her mom was framed more as a ruthless individual especially adding on to the fact that she was on the council. But the way they completely flipped that dynamic is amazing. "They deserve to breathe." Caitlyn heard those words her mother left and still used the Gray in the undercity.

Plus it adds to the narrative about police brutality already existing in season 1, we watch in real time what can make someone with good intentions turn ruthless.

And it's even deeper because Ambessa saw Caitlyn. Council member with the messed up legs whose name i don't remember acted like she wasn't good enough, he wanted to get her out of the way. But literally Caitlyn stood up to Mel. She went behind her back, made hextech weapons, and deployed a team. Ambessa seeing Caitlyn as the greatest tool against Mel makes so much sense.

I love Caitlyn Kirammen, i mean she's kinda a bad cop now/maybe military dictator, but like...she's my fav....

[clairdeluneeeeee]

(Friendly) Matches - Kiyotaka & Celeste

A little fun fact about Ishimaru to start the Kiyotaka week on a positive note:

Kiyotaka and Celeste used to challenge each other often in games of strategy. This is something that gets mentioned in Ishimaru’s School Mode, but also in their Summer Camp and UTDP interactions.

Of course, as we all know, Celeste is the ultimate gambler, so her luck will allow her to win whatever match, even if she admits not knowing shogi’s rules (the game they often play together) that well.

Their friendship is just so funny to explore imo, because they literally have almost nothing in common, and yet, they tend to rotate around each other, even during the main story.

When you start digging deeper in their individual characterisation, you’ll easily discover that they share some traits: like the fact that they can get pretty competitive, and they tend to favour games in which using one’s mind and knowing the “strategy” is the most prominent factor to assure their own victory.

Despite this, their personalities are worlds apart, and they have fundamentally opposite roots that allowed them to turn into the type of person they are today.

Kiyotaka is a bold, enthusiastic young man who takes a lot of pride in the concept of being a “hard worker”, and he’s sure that, one day, he’ll be able to create a perfect society that primarily prioritises meritocracy.

Ishimaru is such a dreamer, he has ideas that most people would find abnormal and impossible to accomplish. Yet, they aren’t totally unrealistic, or at least, not thanks to the way Kiyotaka approaches difficult and tricky subjects. He is always studying, constantly and really, really hard. He tries to understand the situations in which he was thrown into, and then he develops strategies to come out of them as the winner.

Unfortunately, this trait of his was his biggest downfall during the killing school-life. His dedication, paired with his goal of wanting to be as useful as he can be for the others, kinda dug his grave. It wasn’t his fault, but being dictated by your own feelings and impressions in such an environment can be deadly, especially if you end up trusting a soon-to-be killer.

Celeste, on the other hand, is extremely cynical and closed-off. She doesn’t care about anyone but herself, and she’s so confident in her abilities that she tends to overestimate her successes.

Even so, her behaviour isn’t going to be rewarded either. Her pride will be what’ll ruin her in the end, and her inability to come to terms with who she really is going to be shown as her greatest weakness.

Now, a thing that I found quite interesting is how, after tons of failed attempts from Ishimaru’s side, Kiyotaka and Celeste actually come to a draw during one of their matches in the UTDP, which surprises them both.

And while Celeste is quick to dismiss this event by proclaiming that she simply hadn’t been lucky enough that day, and that something like this is never going to happen again, Kiyotaka attributes it to all the efforts he has been putting into his goal of surpassing Celeste.

Even though we’ll never know whatever his triumph was really due to his hard work or if it just happened because of mere fortune, I think it’s a nice conclusion that allow us to see Kiyotaka’s whole philosophy in a rather positive light.

It doesn’t matter if all the odds are against you, or if people are constantly dragging you down for having an “unrealistic and childish” mindset, as long as you’ll believe in what you’re doing and in your capacities, you’ll always stand a chance to gain a victory, however small it may be.

[tziporarosen]

Delicate Flames

CHAPTER II : Sevika recounts a series of events leading to her father's death and her family's downfall. Y/N learns of their family's role in causing Sevika's suffering, including the loss of her mother and Sevika's own mutilation as punishment. Struck by guilt and remorse, Y/N offers restitution, but Sevika rejects it, harboring deep-seated resentment and refusing to forgive. As the tension dissipates, Y/N seeks to understand Sevika's pain, prompting Sevika to share her story of injustice and loss. Through their conversation, a fragile understanding begins to emerge between them, hinting at the possibility of reconciliation amid a backdrop of betrayal and privilege.

MEN AND MINORS DNI

You didn’t get the chance to breathe as your heart fell to your stomach, completely taken aback by the sudden change, her tone, mixed in with your vulnerability as you laid beneath her, completely defenseless. She pulled her fingers out as she got up, standing still as she watched your face go from flustered to ghostly white compared to the yellow musked cement walls. 

“How- I uh, I can explain” you stumbled as you pulled your knees forward as you sat up, shielding your bare chest as your hands trembled discreetly. 

“You don’t have to” Sevika stated coldly, her grin growing as she sat down on the wooden chair facing the bed. “Now I genuinely believe that you were lost, but what I don’t understand is why you had this sewn into your dress” she inquired as she pulled out the dagger from the back of her belt. 

Your brows wrinkle together at her question as you try to process the fast shift in atmosphere. “What do you mean? It’s a family heirloom” you explain unsurely. 

“Family heirloom? Really?” She scoffed out as she stood up before treading back to the side of the bed. Gulping down the harsh lump in your throat, you retreat in fear of the reality in front of you, your fate now locked in her fingertips. “Last time I checked, this was my fathers. He gave this to me, so unless we’re cousins, one of us is lying, and I’m not a liar, "Sevika conceded as she grabbed your ankle, pulling you closer. 

You let out a yelp as she placed the blade under your chin with her hand still gripped on your ankle, trapping you as she leaned in closer. “I’m not lying, my father gave this to me on my 10th birthday” you defend in a stammer, your body frozen at the imminent threat laying above your throat. 

“Are you calling me a liar Y/N?” Sevika asked calmly as she pressed the blade flat under your chin. 

“No ma’am” you mutter, her features blurring as you hold your breath, fearful of moving even a hair. You whimper quietly as her metal hand lets go of your ankle, her eyes never leaving yours. 

“You think your fancy dresses and tea cups hide the evil that you guys commit to the people beneath you?” She badgered in loath, her teeth locked in as she watched you shake your head carefully. “Use your words, Princess,” Sevika taunted. 

“No, it doesn’t” you mumbled, your body cooling down the longer you remain undressed. She remained still on you as she watched you crumble into a silent weep, your confidence completely evaporated. “I’m sorry for what my father did, I really am. We can fix it” you barter softly.

She let out an audible scoff of disbelief as she leaned down to get to your eye level. “You can bring back the dead now? bring back my arm, my family? My reputation? I’d rather burn my other arm off then take your help” she spat clearly, every single word digging a deeper cave in your chest. 

“N-no of course not, but we can do something, I’ll pay” you offer desperately. You didn’t know the full story but you realize how naive you were until now, worshiping the ground your father walked on when he stomped his way to power. The way she is glaring at you makes you want to dig a hole through the bed into the deep cement ground and bury yourself within. 

“Pay? You’ll pay for what? Just so you can shut me up like you shut everyone up that goes against his dictatorship, ruining people’s lives when they are just trying to survive?” She snapped as her eyes flashed into a dark gray, the glisten that usually resided now completely gone. Your features wrinkled as you tried to understand what she was saying, her anger seeming harsh from your perspective. “You have no idea do you?” She snickered as she removed the dagger from your neck, drifting it down to your shoulder. 

“Tell me, so I can do something. I can bring you back, get him to apologize, I’ll give you a title, respect, money, whatever you need to fix it” you sputtered out before you winced in pain as she grazed your skin. 

“You’re not listening, I don’t want anything from you or your scum of a family” she spat between clenched teeth. “What you did, can't be fixed with words, and fancy titles” Sevika commented with a lift of her top lip, scowling at her mock of your promise of status. 

“Then tell me, what did we do?” you rebuked in a plea, hopeful of finding a resolution, even if it's merely leaving with your life. 

“You really want to know?” Sevika questioned sarcastically as she pulled the knife away, yet part of her was surprised, taken aback that someone like you is actually interested in knowing what happened. 

“Yes, I can't find a solution if I don't know what happened” you urged softly, though it came out helpless, as if you needed her to tell you. 

Sevika tapped the heel of her foot on the ground as she sat in the chair opposite you, her bottom lip in between her teeth as she contemplated actually telling you what happened.

****

“Are you insane? Why would you do that?” Sevika whisper-yelled at her brother as she crouched down on the cold concrete floor, her whispers echoing into the hollow brick. 

“They deserve it! You know what they did to father, and now mother is dead because of them” he rebuked in a croaked shout, his words muffled by Sevika's pinching his leg. 

“So you wrote a letter threatening to kill the king?! That’s treason and you knew that!” Sevika snapped, angry that she’s about to lose him as well when she promised to keep him safe. 

“I didn’t do anything though, they’re still alive and well” he defended as he leaned his head to face the ground, realizing his royal fuckup. 

“That is not the point. Now we’re both to be executed before noon” she revealed as she let herself fall back on her rear, glancing up at her younger brother in rage. It’s been only a week since they lost their father after he failed to deliver the swords the king ordered in time, causing him to lose his life under the blade he crafted himself. The pain and anger was still so raw, it hadn't even processed in her mind. Her mothers suicide 3 days ago made it simple for a quick funeral, the couple together for eternity as their offspring’s waited to join them. “Whatever you do, do not say a word. Let me speak'' she warned as harsh footsteps approached the cell, loud keys clinking against each other as they stood up. 

Sevika's heart fell to her stomach as she saw the king standing behind the guards, his shadow appearing as the guards created a path. Biting down her pride, Sevika leaned forward in a bow, quickly pressing on her brother's lower back to force him into a bow. 

“I don’t usually come to visit my enemies, but this is a particular scenario. A whole family, vanished in 7 days, all because their father couldn’t deliver.” He started flatly as he rounded the bowing sibling. “And now, this boy threatens my life, the king that has offered your family a home, food, everything you could ever ask for” he spat as he lifted her brother's chin, scanning his sharp features. 

“Your Majesty, if I may” , Sevika spoke up gently, urging to plead for her brother's life. The king paused his analysis of the boy and turned his attention to the tall Sevika, his height almost reaching hers. Almost. 

“Go on” he permitted in curiosity. 

“What he did is unforgivable and foolish, he’s just a heartbroken boy. He means no harm, and definitely doesn’t pose a threat to your throne or well being. I will punish him, he was acting out of the grief and anger of a 15 year old boy. I beg of you, Your Majesty, please spare his life” she pleaded clearly, each word spoken with sincerity and fear, not of him, but rather the consequences she’s being accustomed to. 

His head tilted in intrigue as he pondered over her words as if, for the first time, he was being challenged. “Let me ask you this, the late king, my father. Do you know how he died?” He questioned calmly. 

Sevika swallowed down as she breathed out harshly, “yes, Your Highness” she muttered. 

“I’m glad you do, now would you like to let your brother know how the late king passed?” he asked with a little grin, reveling in the inevitable unravel. 

“He was assassinated” 

“That’s right, he was assassinated by a man, who was angry, and sad, just like your little brother here. So, why should I risk my life and throne? To spare the life of a scum” He interrogated as he shifted his attention back to her brother, disgust lingering in his tone. 

“He’s a child, he did not mean it” Sevika persisted, her voice gruff with frustration. 

“He didn’t mean to write, ‘I will cut your throat the way you cut my fathers’? Tell me serf, would you spare him if you were in my position?” He inquired, his insult locking Sevika' s jaw. 

“Yes, I would.” Sevika admitted firmly, hoping to use any tactic to save herself and her brother. “I would make an example out of him, show the people that you're not merciless as they see you” she explained, her words trailing off as the king stepped back, allowing his guards to step forward. 

“It's a shame you’re not king” he remarked as Sevika took notice of the change in atmosphere, rapidly stepping in front of her brother. 

“Don’t take him, he's just a child” Sevika pleaded as she let her knees hit the ground beneath her, kneeling for his life. 

“Place her in another cell, it's time” he ordered as he walked away, leaving a fighting Sevika behind, using all her restricted force to fight the guards off, but it was to no avail. Her screams held no power with her hands chained as she echoed her little brother's cries in the distance, fading into the early morning execution. 

****

You inhaled harshly through your nose, betrayal seeping through your veins as your fathers image cracked in your eyes, his gentle eyes no longer holding its delicate lullabies. Sevika's hand instinctively soothed her metal arm as she remembered the pain from that day, the physical hardly compared to the hole in her heart that remained. “He took my arm, said it was so no one in my family can ever threaten him again, made it seem like he was doing me a favor by keeping me alive” she murmured. 

“I- I’m so sorry, I had no idea” you whispered, unable to come up with anything else to say to such an admission. 

“Of course you didn't, how could you when all you could see was luxury and privilege?” Sevika remarked as she glanced down at the dagger on her lap. 

“Did your father make that?” you questioned as your eyes followed her fingers over the dagger. You could feel the danger slowly fade away as she opened up, the room returning to its previous quietude. 

“No, my grandfather did, my father gave it to me when I was old enough to hold a weapon” she explained as a little smile crept up, her smile quickly faltering once you returned a sympathetic grin. Your understanding seemed to hold an opposite effect as she stood up and shielded the dagger in the back of her belt before stepping back. “Storytime is over, get some sleep, I'll bring you back home in the afternoon” she asserted as she pulled the wooden door open. 

Your heart felt as though it could beat again at those words, knowing that she wasn't here for revenge or to harm you, she just needed someone to know. “Thank you” you trailed as she caught one last glance of you before shutting the door gently, leaving you to dwell in your new found truth. 

                  

Your heart jolted at the sudden creak of the door opening, too deep in thought to have heard Sevika’s approaching footsteps. You spent the past few hours thinking as you listened to the banging and shuffling of Sevika’s work, her closeness calming your meltdowns. 

“Let's go” she instructed as she placed a fur cloak on the foot of her bed, her figure casting a shadow over you. Steadily, you raised your body and leaned forward, a sharp pain in your core, pulling you back down on the bed. “What's wrong?” she questioned, a glimpse of concern lingering beneath the nonchalance. 

You groan at the unfamiliar pain before you freeze at the realization. “Fuck” you mumble to yourself. 

“Oh, the princess swears” Sevika taunted as you knocked your head back into the pillow. 

“No, I can't go home like this,” you explained as you scanned your body, purple and red marks trailing all down your chest, and you're assuming up your neck. 

“Oh that, I guess you’ll have to deal with the new tarnished name” Sevika stated with a raise of a brow, the reality of your new found dilemma was beginning to seem like good karma, delivered right to her doorstep. 

“No, you don't understand, I'll never be able to marry, and I can forget the throne while I'm at it” you expressed in slight panic, pondering over your options. 

“No, I understand, trust me” Sevika uttered with a scoff as she raised the fur cloak. “ Now let's go, I have a lot of work to do and I can't work when you're here” she motioned as she watched the panic in your mind seep through your expression. She knew you didn't deserve this, but part of her finally felt in control of her relationship with power, finally holding the upper hand. 

You could feel a sweat reach the hairs on your skin as you glanced up at Sevika, hoping she would change her mind and spare you some pity you certainly don't deserve. “One week, please, I promise I will stay out of your way, I can't go home like this. Sevika, please” you pleaded as you sat up. You could see a glimpse of contemplation in her eyes before it returned to its gray-tainted snowy eyes, denying you of mercy. 

“No, I am not harboring a princess in my house, it's suicide” Sevika justified as she pulls a brown cigarillo from her pocket, lighting it aflame as she nudged your foot. 

“No one will know, please” you pleaded, your brows crunched in desperation. 

“I said no, I'm not going to say it again. Put your coat on or I'll drag you out of here naked” Sevika asserted, her patience slipping into frustration. Part of Sevika was so tempted to let you stay in her bed, having you laid out for her to admire was the temptation whispering in her ears, but she knew that came with a price she was not willing to pay. 

You gulped down the tears that were meant to appear next as you submitted to her request, sliding the warm cloak over your slip dress. Silently, you walked to the front of the barn as she followed behind, contemplating her decision over and over, wondering if she was making a mistake by letting you go.

its been so busy lol, hope you like it, sorry there is no smut in this one since i am also a sucker for a little angst, i hope you are too lol

taglist:

@lesvii

@sevsbaby

@thesevi0lentdelights

[oleander-neruim]

• Iris, the newly fallen Ruler and often seen dictator of the Following. Power hunger and righteousness became her untimely downfall, along with anyone on her side and her very own child.

• Ivy, prisoner of the Following. Saving her from imprisonment became an ultimate goal. Her own sister locked her away in claims of containing a so called corruption that fueled Ivy's veins.

• The "Lotus Eaters": groups of lost and convinced cultists found themselves in bliss and over-indulgence as they found the island of mindless fruits.

• Additional monsters of the Codfather's island: while the other entities of the island were prone to belittle and tease the disfigured cod, they were still intent to protect him. They don't tend to be too fond of false alarms, however.

• The man-eaters: this story's Laestrygonians, Queen Lizzie created an entirely new species of seemingly mutated fish creatures, most in resemblance to Axolotls. They are hungry for any unfortunate soul who falls into their waters.

The Underworld

• Will & Eddie: two souls who miss their friends and loved ones dearly. Each were happy to see those they cherish on their journey through the Underworld. Though brief, they did what they could to give the remaining crew some sense of comfort and love they once were so overabunted in giving.

• Michela & Redd: two souls filled with bitterness and resentment. While they could find themselves forgiving their friends for foolish choices & careless disregards, wounds are too fresh for them to have a clear mind. Floods of their friends have come in, screaming their tragedies and fueling more hatred among plenty of them towards the unfortunate survivors.

Monsters

• A reflection shown to a captain long in need of a wake up call

• Scylla: a monsterous amalgamation of history's corruptions. She takes on her most recent host's appearence. From that of convincing fae, to fungal viruses that took over their hosts minds, Scylla hungers and she will feed.

Alt. Gods

• Aeor: a more casual, human esque appearence. He takes on this look for those He typically doesn't expect to live long enough to remember. He takes on this look to make sure any mortal will hear what He has to say.

• Exor: a more casual, friendly appearence. Years have passed and they wish to appear approachable as they can manage as they approach the son of someone they would once and wish to call their friend.

• Sausage, the island of paradise. He just wants to go home. He just wants to feel home.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

Pt.1 || Pt. 2 || Pt. 3 || Pt. 4 || Pt. 5 [Here]

Okay I cannot physically think of anymore characters or important appearances I need to add. I am crossing my fingers that this will finally be the end of the sketches.

The looks are rushed cos I did all these sketches today in hopes of getting a post out before the end of the month so here we are.

This project is bringing me so much joy I won't lie.

The wisdom Saga is also making me Feel Things /pos

[thechrysanthecandle]

so I just got done watching a Chants of Sennaar playthrough and

[5] But the Lord came down to look at the city and the tower the people were building. [6] “Look!” he said. “The people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them! [7] Come, let’s go down and confuse the people with different languages. Then they won’t be able to understand each other.”

—‭‭ Genesis 11:5-7 NLT‬‬

this game really said, "i see your bullshit and i raise you a solid 'nah'" and i'm so here for it. not assuming the devs' affiliation of course, but this game is a perfect deconstruction tool. like the player is actively undoing the damage that a powerful being caused when it put it's own selfish wants and desperation for worship over the well-being of humanity.

Exile used its abilities to foster prejudice and an environment of non-communication in the tower, and by doing so it ensured that it would remain safely/securely in power. after the traveler begins translating the languages and reuniting the floors, Exile begins to panic. it knows that this unity, humans working together for the greater good of all, would spell it's downfall/irrelevance.

“The people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them!

Only in a villain's mind would a united and organized people be a bad thing. In the bible, god took away people's ability to communicate with one another because he knew they would prosper together. but he also knew that this prosperity would mean they wouldn't need to rely solely on him. they accomplish great things by their own powers.

now imagine a villain in a story where their whole schtick is that they purposely cripple and abuse their own children. And the reason they (the villain) do so is because they want to continue being relied on and fawned over. everybody would be calling that character what they are; an abuser, a jealous narcissist, a psychopath.

but because we've slapped the label of "god" over those titles instead, people don't want to admit the truth of yahweh's character. christianity demands we read Genesis 11 and say "that's a father who loves us more than anything" and Chants of Sennaar shows is what that logic looks like played out. it's fucking insane.

and not only is it an analysis of yahweh's decree and actions, but it holds our hand as we actively undo/deconstruct/fix the damage done by it. at the end this game says "humans working together to make life better without fear of a narcissistic dictator is good actually" and i think that's real cool.

i love this game.

[brotoman-exe]

So seeing as the trailer is finally out and one of my more frequently revisited posts is about this movie let's talk the trailer. Now these are off the cuff barely put together ramblings with like an hour to think on it so don't take this as a final verdict or my hardest stance ever.

The Good

- It looks generally alright. There is some clear signs someone was flipping through the art book for the War For Cybertron games when designing a lot of this stuff. As well I'm interested to see how the 'surface' is seeming to be overgrown with plant life and the like.

- Alpha Trion and some sort of grave, of the other 13?, shows up and seems like they are going with the G1 style of him making Optimus and Elita into their present selves, just adding Megatron and Bumblebee there.

- Elita One even getting to be a major player is pretty neat. Really a rise to prominence from a time when I think people didn't even know female characters existed before Arcee.

- Also Quintessons seeming to be an oppressive class enslaving the Cybertronians is another good G1 call back.

- Also having both Orion and M-16 start as workers is nice since it means you can't accuse Optimus of not knowing just how bad the system was when he opposes Megatron going full Peace Through Tyranny.

The Bad

- The dialogue, like you know it, I know it, and everyone else knows it. Now to start not saying Transformers can't be goofy or funny, '80s film everyone has a dance party to Weird Al and fandom loves the hell out of that movie. But that felt more organic to G1s general sillier side versus this where it feels the writers looked up a bunch of posts satirizing later stage MCU diaologue and thought "yes let's do that".

- Bumblebee being there, since seems he is just being shoved in as comic relief and cause marketers love Bumblebee versus a fourth main character being needed for this story.

The Fear

This is more speculation on from what the trailer presents could be bad about the film but I can't say 100% from the trailer.

- Elita One being in the movie being reduced to other three main characters are going to spend parts of the movie having the hots for her or the plot being configured into any kind of terrible love shape. (I will barely accept a love triangle with Orion and M-16 if those two are also onto each other. Transformers made enough strides in LGBT rep to not back slide into the worst of Het writing now.)

- Bonus negative points if Elita One getting hurt or dying is used as the final straw for Optimus and Megatron's relationship breaking apart.

- The reveal of the names Optimus Prime, Megatron, and Elita One not being allowed to be good moments and instead get ruined by shitty jokes (Like how the RWBY/Justice League film had to constantly make jokes about Superman being called Superman. I get it writers are so above silly naming schemes like that in the 2020s now, but just shut up)

- Speaking or other things that are atrocious I'm worried this movie is going to pull a Devil May Cry reboot and just have Megatron swerve into "I wanna be Big Dick Dictator of the Galaxy" two seconds after they beat the Quintessons like how Fedora!Vergil went "I'm actually evil and we should now in some vague way rule the world Dante" right after the 'Kingpin From Marvel but turned into a giant made of buildings' boss fight. So no time will be given to the deteriorating state of Orptimus' and Megatron's relationship before hand. That or they sequel bait the downfall and we have to cross our fingers it was good enough to get a sequel.

- The Quintessons will have their menace damaged by bad pot shot jokes/references to the original animated movie.

- We spend all movie with MCU quips Bumblebee but Starscream never shows up.

The Hope

But that is all nerves and speculation as so far I've just seen a single trailer. So what about positive possibilities.

- The major one is the trailer is just cut by brainless add executives and a lot of the worst quips are either not in the movie or there is way more good dialogue and the stuff in the trailer was all of it.

- They actually do give some other members of the Decepticons appearances and completing backstories of their own.

- Optimus and Megatron are in unambiguous romantic love before the big break up.

- They do some really interesting stuff with the lore based on some of that cool environmental design. Perhaps a more interesting version of Megatronus for Megatron to be inspired by?

- Lastly this film just needs to clear the low bar set by most of the Bay Films to not be bad at this point. And I highly doubt this movie can do anything to hit the "Your Racist Uncle" level of some Revenge of the Fallen scenes or "Mmm I sure do love high school girls" level of the first one and especially Age of Extinction scenes.

[labelleizzy]

when they want to

control you

they do not come

with shackles

made of iron

they come instead

with cages made

of shame and story

like the one

about the woman

who earned crisis

for her curiosity

so tempted by a life

of wisdom and independence

she caused the downfall

of all civilization

women are dangerous

says the shame story of Eve

they cannot

be trusted and

should not

trust themselves

give a woman

free choice and

she’ll eat the fruit

tempt the man

enrage the god

she’ll destroy us all

with her mad desire

to know

to discover

to understand

her self

her world

her maker

give a woman any freedom

and she’ll follow

her curiosity

shape her

own story

seek truth beyond

the dictates

of order and obedience

she will wreck

your carefully controlled mandates

your reign of tightness

she will unmake

your holy wars

of right and wrong

and infuse the realm with

choice and instinct

empathy outranking rules

creativity eclipsing war

sovereignty subsuming

blind servitude

when you want to know

like Eve

when you have a taste

for truth

and a hunger for wisdom

you have to question

the stories

test the facts

rattle the cage

who profits from you

believing a lie?

who benefits because you

believe you are both

cause and curse?

they have tried

to burn you

with their shame

strip you

violate you

shrink you

silence you

but they could not break

your phoenix spirit

its fierce heat

will melt old regimes

and enflame a generation

who will not settle

for smallness

for submission

for shame

sink your self into

the feathered

red sleeve

of your ancestors

and rise, woman

rise again

for you are

Persephone’s Daughter

Lilith’s lover

Eve’s heir

find the truth

eat the fruit

unmask the myth

let it burn

BUY THE POSTER & ORACLE DECK Link in bio. www.witchoracle.com poem by @angisullins

Art #YuriKlapough

#poetry #poetryisnotdead #writingcommunity #eve #noshame #youarepowerful #womenrule #womanpower #spreadyourwings #riseup #goddess #youreagoddess #myths #feels #metoo #witchesofinstagram

[raphaeliteocean]

I need to grow more comfortable with nuance. She’s tracing up my back and I shiver at the sensation. I’ve been trying to knit the amber vines far away from any angel of mine, yet here I am in this lake of want, swimming around the knives that carved my downfall. Loneliness moulds all the wrong choices and yet curling up to it feels so much colder than any conflict concept I’ve met. If I am constantly crawling towards progress, why aren’t my days filled with subtle touches and understanding? If I’ve grown to hate what I am, why do I treasure it so, as if another had ever worshipped it. Would you? Worship it i mean. Would you? These stories in my head are just shadows of what could never be and mimics of what I want with a soul mine is paralleling with every step towards seventeen. That mockingjay sings. That mockingjay sings uncertainty to that soul every sunset, do they hear it? Whisper one line and I’ll leave you alone forever - whisper one line and I’ll keep even your shadow in my sandstorm scene. I’ve skipped through too many flaming hoops, slick with gasoline, to know what feels right and wrong. Who am i to know authenticity as if it has ever known my name? If my blood stops running through the streets with transparency, and morphs into thick crimson rivers, would I be able to step through that threshold with more ease or none? Write me a poem, even two lines, that dictates your thoughts on who I have become. If you still feel that twist in your gut we named a long time ago, if its name remains, write me a story with a character called Silver, I’ll know and not tell the preacher. Promise me the lavender and i’ll do the rest. Goodnight.

[eremin0109]

I remember making a shitpost comparing Han Dong soo and Park Jun mo as protagonists just because how similiar I thought they were. But now that we're in the last week of Evilive, I can't believe how fucking right I was.

I will make a more cohesive post talking about all the parallels between the two, but what's more fascinating to me is how different, on the contrary, Do young and Gicheol are. Do young is a man fuelled by pure ambition, refusing to let his heart (if he even has one) dictate his course of action, ready to sacrifice anyone and anything to achieve his goals. Gicheol, on the other hand, is purely driven by his emotions and personal connections to people. In a way, he is a slave to them, he just can't help but love too much, care too much.

And yet, "greed" is a factor that bounds these two incredibly contrasting individuals. In Do young's case, the greed is for being the sole proprietor of the Shinnam Ferry Business, willing to trample Dong soo's ambitions for it if he has to. While for Gicheol, the greed is for still wanting a normal life with the woman (and man) he's loved when they both emotionally manipulated him for their own selfish gains.

Do young and Gicheol are both extremely violent people, willing to kill and maul people that threaten them. For Gicheol, it is more a defensive instinct in a "kill or be killed" situation and it is almost always when him and one of his loved ones are in danger. But Do young is a sadist predator who genuinely enjoys inflicting torture on people, both physical and mental. He kills for himself, and wouldn't get involved in shit unless it benefits him somehow.

and of course they've both got "partners" who are essentially a worse version of them. Gicheol openly admits how he could "see himself" in Junmo while Do young carefully crafted Dong soo's monstrous persona in his own image. They're not the two sides of the same coin but after a point, they ARE the same coin. And one coin cannot be two different things at the same time--so one has to go. That's how it always goes in these type of stories.

For both Dong soo and Junmo, Do young and Gicheol are both, the people who put them on a pedestal and the people who they'll have to get rid of to continue being on that pedestal. For Junmo, it was clear from the start--Gicheol's downfall was his mission, the only way to get that coveted promotion. For Dong soo it will be more complicated, but the signs are all there. If Do young can't give him what he wants anymore, he'll have to figure a way to get it himself, even if it's the cost of getting rid of Do young.

There's a heavy Jesus-Judas, "my savior who came to ruin my life", betrayal disguised as devotion symbolism going on throughout both shows. We've already seen how it all ends with the worst of evil, with Junmo on the top of the world, alone, with the corpses of the people he trampled over to get there lying at his feet.

I doubt it would be any different for Dong soo.