#Helen's story

[glitterypin]

Peter Capaldi as Frank Ryland in Accused S01E03: "Helen's Story"

[morganmnemonic]

I can't stop thinking about the relationship between Jon and Helen as perhaps one of the most important ones in the entire show. They are narrative parallels for each other, and they both know it. They've both known it from the very start!

Helen walks into the Archives, paranoid, unsure of who to trust, and Jon sees himself in her. And he thinks "If i can help her, maybe there's hope for me too." Then he can't save her. The next time they meet, she's a monster. They're both monsters. There was never any other way their stories could have gone, their fates entwined from the very start.

And Helen answers his original thought with one of her own: "Maybe if we can help each other, there's hope for us both." But Jon looks at her and sees everything that he fears becoming, and so he turns her away, and refuses to accept that their stories are still one and the same.

Helen went to the last person who was ever kind to her, the only person who both knew her as a human and had the context to understand what she'd become, and he hated her. He hated her because he liked Helen, and told her that she couldn't be Helen.

So she stopped trying to be Helen, and embraced being a monster. Reveled in it even. Then Jon wakes up from a six month coma, more monster than person, and tries so hard to cling to the things that mattered to him when he was human. Even with no support, even with the entire archives staff against him, he chooses humanity and compassion over and over again.

And this is a direct threat to Helen's world view. Their stories are entwined. If Jon can continue to be a person even after everything he's been through, then she could have clung to her humanity too, if only she'd tried a little harder. And that terrifies her! She wants to conceptualize herself as someone who was completely overwhelmed by forces beyond her control, who never had a choice but to become a monster. She want's to be an innocent victim. But Jon argues with his actions that they'd both had choices.

And, Jon, in turn, holds out hope that she might make better choices until the very end.

This is the conflict between them for all of season 4 and 5. Jon wants to prove that they can both be decent people, and Helen wants to prove that they were never going to be anything but monsters. This is why she's so devoted to trying to goad Jon into enjoying his newfound godhood. She knows that they are the same, and wants that to mean that he has a spark of evil inside of him, and not that she was always capable of doing good.

When Jon kills her, she loses her life, but wins the argument. Helen is nothing but a dangerous monster who needs to be killed for the good of everyone, and in the moment he decides that, Jon dooms himself to the same fate. Their stories are one and the same. "If i can help her, maybe there's hope for me too." he thought. But he couldn't help her, refused to, even, in the one moment when it actually mattered. And thus, there was never hope for him.

[sol-thorne]

Currently working on a graphic novel (which will still be a concept until an editor decides it's worth paying me to complete), I don't have much yet, working on concept pages. For now have those character drawings as I keep working on scenario and storyboarding-

The temporary title is Odysseus: the last journey, and it's going to be pretty much a sequel to the Odyssey. Featuring Telemachus, Diomedes, and a lot of old and godly faces.

[ascesabo]

the great irony of early one piece antagonists believing zoro was the actual captain and using luffy as a puppet ... oda really threw us a bone and curb-stomped it right in our faces. yes, zoro could be a captain in his own right. yes, zoro could match luffy in strength. yes, zoro knows this perfectly well. and you know what? he chose luffy two years ago, and he will continue to choose luffy again and again. roronoa zoro, the pirate hunter, who followed a wannabe pirate with a nonexistent crew on a whim because luffy brought him his swords and made a half-assed attempt at a bargain. zoro, who made a vow to never lose again on both his and luffy's honor. zoro, who told luffy he'd make him commit harakiri if he got in the way of zoro's goal, only to turn around and be willing to sacrifice his dream if it means that luffy reaches his. zoro, who stood in place and took luffy's pain and told a warlord to take his head instead of luffy's, who got down on his knees before his supposed rival and begged mihawk to mentor him so that he could return strong enough to protect his captain. zoro, who has conqueror's haki- a natural born leader- but chooses to stay at the right hand of a man he has deemed greater than himself.

and the thing that luffy fears most? being alone. being rejected. being left behind. and what should have been his foil- the pirate hunter to his pirate king, the nonbeliever to his divine, the king of hell to his sun god- instead becomes his first and most devout follower; the one who demands to follow him to hell and back. oughhhggg i'm sick to my stomach

[fictionadventurer]

Maybe Jane Austen's real genius was that, unlike other authors at the time, she didn't have long sections where characters share their backstory. Or rather, when she did it, she set it up like a mystery so we'd want to know the backstory.

Instead of having a character be like, "Here's three chapters about my life," soon after showing up in the novel, she'd sprinkle little clues through the story that make us wonder, "What's Colonel Brandon's deal?" and then closer to the end of the story, Colonel Brandon would tell us what his deal was. We'd wonder "Why does Mr. Darcy do all those horrible things?" and then he'd give an explanation that includes a lot of backstory.

And these infodumps always come in response to significant moments of the story. She'd engage our minds and our emotions and then give us the infodump at a point when we care about the information it contains. Compared to some other authors (even some that came long after) it seems like a significant innovation.

[be-it-so]

I like to think that during that scene, when achaeans were sitting in the wooden horse and Helen would speak their wives' voices to make them reveal themselves, Helen called for Odysseus as Penelope first, so that he wouldn't have time to realize what is happening, and called for Menelaus as herself last, so that he would have plenty of it to realize exactly what is happening

[kaereth]

Glitradora in the Little Mermaid (Andersen version) for a kofi! Tried a lot of different stuff in here ahah (also the casting for whos who was so hard)

[microscotch]

The only woman tough enough to keep Dusty in line - his mother. 🎶

[albywritesfiction]

After The End

Premise 

Your former fiancé and heir apparent of the Aurelian Kingdom, Prince Ædan, has married the love of his life, the fair Saintess Helene. As the nation celebrates their union, you are left alone to pick up the pieces of your broken heart... until you receive two letters. One is an invitation to the office of Prince Ædric, the crown prince's younger brother and rival for the throne. The other is a letter filled with concern from your childhood friend and secretary-in-training, Cyfrin, who is currently assisting your father at your family’s ducal estate in the countryside. Each letter contains a proposition that will change the course of your fate forever.

Which one will you choose?

Features 

Play as the male lead’s abandoned betrothed of a historical fantasy romance that has reached ‘The End.’ You will be able to customize your character’s identity and appearance with a variety of options. 

Choose between two routes for your next course of action. Will you accept the offer of an alliance with the crown prince's younger (and more capable) brother and become the monarch you were always meant to be? Or will you take a step back from the noise and hubbub of high society in the capital and return to your family's estate in the countryside, where your best friend promises to arrange such a great vacation for you that you’ll forget about your ex in no time? 

Characters

The Second Prince: Ædric Aurelius

Ædric is known throughout the kingdom as the Dark Prince, not just because of his ebony black hair, but also because of his unsociable disposition. While it is true that his deep violet eyes and usual scowl can be intimidating, he has been nothing but kind to you in all the years that you have known him. Sometimes you would catch him looking at you with a small smile on his face, but he would always deny it ever happened.

(Ædric's introduction post)

The Future Secretary: Cyfrin Galanthus

You have known Cyfrin your entire life, and your father has known him for even longer, given that he discovered your best friend on the doorstep of your home when he was just a baby. Even though he is the older one between you two, he often trails behind you like a duckling following its mother when his break times align with yours. He has often been compared to a dog: always eager to spend time with you, fiercely protective and loyal, sullen and moody whenever you are apart.

(Cyfrin's introduction post)

The Crown Prince: Ædan Aurelius

Handsome and charismatic, Ædan is the definition of a fairytale prince… just not your fairytale prince. With his golden blond hair and crystal blue eyes, he easily captured the hearts of the people upon his social debut. When he unleashes his soft smile upon a crowd, there is a very high chance that more than half of those present will swoon. You, too, were once enchanted by that smile, back when you thought your love would last until the end of time.

(Ædan's introduction post)

The Fair Saintess: Helene

If your world was the setting of a typical romance novel, there would be no doubt who the protagonist would be. People say that her beauty is a blessing from the gods, and that her silver hair and golden eyes were meant to set her apart as the Favored One. Helene may have almost the entire kingdom wrapped around her little finger, but you know that her true colors are lurking just beneath the kind and naive front she puts up.

(Helene's introduction post)

Status

Chapter 1, Part 1: releasing on January 5, 2024 9:00 PM EST

Chapter 1, Part 2: in progress, estimated release in April/May 2024

Chapter 1, Part 3: in progress

(MC's introduction post)

(Frequently Asked Questions)

Game Link

[just-an-enby-lemon]

Thinking about the post talking about how The Illiad could be read as Troy Story and I demand and Toy Story illiad crackfic were they are toys from a middle school class, except some belong to the school and others (the ones favored by the gods) to the students.

The war is an elaborated playtime story made by some kids during the year and their free time is just them being toys. Some ideas:

- Odysseus is a Solid Snake action figure but his kid (the nerdy crafty tomboy girl called Athena) has repainted him/made him new cloth clothes he uses over his normal Solid Snake style. Other kids namely Poseidon make fun of Athena for making Ody clothes and giving him a diferent name instead of just calling him Solid Snake( and some umamed assholes about playing with "boy" toys).

- Achiles does not belong to any kid instead he is everyone's favorite toy. Apollo hates him because his action figure Hector from the Troy Royal Family Collection used to be the coolest toy before the school got Achiles from a donation box.

- Helen is Afrodite's barbie doll. She is a special edition rare doll and every girl wants her. She had a fling with school toy Menelaus but Afrodite got Paris as a birthday present and is playing Helen and Paris as a couple (real feelings might arrise???).

- Penelope used to be one of Afrodite's dolls but she gave her to Athena as an apology gift (the girls are frenimies).

- Patroclus is also a school toy and he and Achiles are dating in Toy World. First time the kids played war, Hector killed Patroclus in the make belief world and Achiles refuses to talk to him ever since.

- Cassandra is the only toy from the Troyan Family (is an in-universe cartoon very like Thundercats with a bit lf the new She-ra)Special Edition Apollo doesn't have (tho he gave Paris to Afrodite). He tried to steal her once and was caught by the teacher and grounded. He hates her every since and gives her the worst playtime lines/stories. Only reason he didn't try to break it is cause he knows he'll just be more grounded.

[magiefish]

This might just be a *me* thing, but I do find it kind of fascinating that almost every Feminist Greek Myth Retelling seems compelled to flatten Helen into a two-dimensional basic-bitch with no guilt or remorse for her actions despite the fact that self-loathing for her own beauty, a feeling of a lack of agency in the face of Aphrodite's whims and a complicated affection for and loyalty to both the Greeks and the Trojans are all major characteristics of hers in both The Odyssey and The Iliad. I'm sure this has nothing to do with the dynamics of modern feminism and patriarchy whatsoever.

[dootznbootz]

The fact that Diomedes gets kicked out after getting home in four days only to basically meet up with Aeneas and fuck around in Italy is so much fun. He gets CULTS :D

[bugbear55]

Drawtober Day 3: Steampunk AU

With my lovers, the children of Priam

this took forever but i had blasts. and i love how paris and kassandra came out. Sorry hector my boy you look like shit <3

[specialagentartemis]

ngl I think it’s fun how little internal sense the chronology of the Trojan War makes. Eris threw the Apple of Discord at the wedding of Thetis and Peleus, which is what prompted Athena, Aphrodite, and Hera to demand the Judgement of Paris, and Aphrodite promised Paris the love of the most beautiful women in the world, who was Helen, who was already married, which is what started the Trojan War. But Achilles, son of Thetis and Peleus, was one of Helen’s suitors who swore the oath to defend her. And when the Trojan War was beginning (was threatening to begin?), Thetis hid Achilles among the women of Skyros, where he and Deidamia had a son, Pyrrhus/Neoptolemus. But when Achilles died in the ninth year of the Trojan War, Neoptolemus was old enough to fight in it. These things happen at mythic scales under mythic logic, it doesn’t really hang together, you just gotta go with it

[orpheus-has-lyreizz]

watched Troy 2004 in cls tdy my teacher tried (unsuccessfully) to skip all the steamy scenes lmao

if you don't look too closely it looks Fine my art genes died in the middle of doodling Helen n Paris

[treason-and-plot]

Saffron is not in the habit of visiting other people’s houses for dinner, with the exception of her father’s, and the experience feels novel and sophisticated.  Tom and Helene are charming hosts, and Helene’s cooking is delicious.  Too bad that Connor seems mired in some kind of impenetrable sulk; his parents don’t seem to notice that anything is awry, however, and continue to chat merrily between themselves and to Saffron.  

“This is quite a momentous occasion, Connor bringing a young lady home to meet us,” says Tom, resting his elbows on the table and turning the full force of his attention on her. “Isn’t that right, Helene?”

“Yes, it is,” smiles Helene. “You must be very special, Saffron.”

“Of course she is,” scowls Connor.

“Saffron, Connor tells us that you are blessed with brains as well as beauty and have been tutoring him in Economics,” says Tom. “In fact, he credits you as being the reason he actually managed to pass this term. Would you agree?”

“Not entirely,” says Saffron with a modest wave of her hand. “Connor’s a great student.”

“Oh, come on now,” says Tom with an indulgent smile. Connor's fork hovers in mid-air, as if he is undecided what to do with it; continue using it as an eating utensil, or use it to stab his father in the head? “Everyone at this table knows that’s not true.”