#She didn't have a choice all the time but the time we KNOW she did and people will act like she didn't.

[melanchoire]

WHAT DO WE THINK ABT RIDING G!P COWGIRL WONYOUNG…. 😞

i’m already making a cowgirl wonyoung fic (it’s in progress) BUT let’s talk about cowgirl wonyoung in the process 🔥

cw: breeding + creampie, choking (kinda), degradation, riding.

how about... going to a halloween party and deciding to make a couples outfit with your girlfriend? you two were the sweet and charming couple in your group of friends and quite a few people in college thought you were the star couple because who wouldn’t love the lovely jang wonyoung and her sweet girlfriend?

wonyoung is the one who decides what costume the two of you could wear: cowboys. at first, it seemed a bit repetitive, being an idea like the typical joker and harley quinn or angel and devil. this being wonyoung, you thought she would choose something more original or iconic because it’s wonyoung!! but you knew that even if it was something basic and common, wonyoung would know how to make it her own in her own way and would know how to leave her own mark

so she is here, walking all over the room waiting for you to come out of the bathroom because you two would have to leave the house and head to the party any minute but you were taking forever to finish getting ready and she was starting to get impatient 😮‍💨 just when she was planning to knock on the door and ask you to hurry up, you open the bathroom door and call her name; wearing a tiny denim skirt that barely covered your ass, paired with a red and white plaid cropped shirt tied just below your tits, and of course, the shirt was unbuttoned, revealing the tempting curves of your cleavage and the soft, smooth skin of your abdomen

wonyoung is aware that she's the one who told you what to wear and lent you some clothes from her closet, but she didn't expect you to look so like that, so... slutty. she mainly chose those clothes because she knew that you usually preferred to wear looser clothes or just something not so revealing or “provocative”, but the image of your cheerful and naive expression contrasting with the tiny–sized clothes was playing with wonyoung’s sanity

and yes! she was already starting to get hard. she didn’t know if it was seeing that cute cowboy hat on your head, or the small t–shirt trying to hold your breasts in, or the short skirt hugging your butt that with any slightest movement would probably ride up instantly, or the cowboy boots that matched your hat perfectly — whatever the choice, wonyoung could feel the bulge forming under her jeans, which made her curse under her breath as she smiled sweetly at you when you passed by her and did a little turn to show her your look 🥰

skksiaisa wonyoung barely able to control her hands around you 😩 opening the door for you as you arrive at the party, keeping her hand on the small of your back as you two walk through the crowd of people, practically sticking to your side during the short time you were with your group of friends… ohhh and when it was time to dance she would make you turn your back on her, all to pretend to dance close to you when she was just looking for the perfect excuse to grind her cock against your ass without seeming needy

until she notices that there are people who start looking suggestively and practically eat you with their eyes 😤 wonyoung wasn’t subtle at all with her behavior on the matter; dirty looks from head to toe, fake smiles, witty or mean comments but with a malicious tone… all of this was worse because she had some alcohol in her system, so you weren’t really aware of her actions when she grabbed your wrist with her whole hand and dragged you out of the party!

and also not being able to control herself on the way home... yes, she had her gaze firmly straight ahead and was quiet in a way that transformed everything into an uncomfortable silence, but one hand on the wheel and the other resting on your thigh, sliding slowly up and down and occasionally squeezing your flesh, there was something in her body language that warned you of what was coming…

getting out of the car almost the second you parked in the garage, coming around to open the door for you and basically dragging you out of the car, closing the door with a slam that was even painful… ohh and the way she grabs you by the neck and slams you against the wall the moment you two walk through the door of her home and it closes behind you 😵 if anyone saw that, they could say it was a blow that would leave your back sore for days, but since you loved wonyoung’s rough and menacing side, you would love for this to be an everyday routine 😇 it is

“and to think i’m going to be the lucky son of a bitch who gets to fuck this sexy cowgirl tonight…” growling lowly and leaning down to nuzzle your neck, inhaling the sweet, intoxicating scent of your perfume and almost moaning at the hypnotic smell

“i’m going to ruin this pretty outfit of yours, baby. i’m going to fuck you so hard you won't be able to walk straight for days.”

wonyoung being so intoxicated by all the alcohol she consumed and totally dominated by jealousy and anger that she can barely stand up and even be able to fuck you 😭 so she forces you to ride her? of course~~

omg her leaving you completely naked except for the cowboy hat still resting on your head 😵‍💫 something humiliating and embarrassing for you because wonyoung still has her clothes on, only having unzipped her jeans and pulled down her boxers a little to free her cock, but even with that, she still had all her clothes on, while yours was lying in a crumpled heap on the floor somewhere in the room!!

OMG YOU KNOW COWBOYS HAVE WHIPS RIGHT? how about i propose... wonyoung tying the whip around your neck and using it as a leash 👀 keeping a loose grip on the end she is holding in her hand, giving it playful tugs from time to time, surprising you with a strong pull that makes you bring your face closer to hers only for her to order you to go a little faster or put in a little effort because she feels that you’re doing things without desire, practically forcing you to nod and promise her that you will put a little more effort into it and do it right for her because you want to make her feel good 😵‍💫

and if you thought wonyoung couldn’t be any meaner, you were wrong! she was angry as hell, added to that she was a little drunk and sleep was threatening to overtake her, so she was in the worst mood!

she wasn’t allowing you to touch her, which really bothered you because you needed to at least place your hands on her shoulders or neck to use them as support to ride her, but no! she warned you that you couldn’t even lay a hand on her, saying that if you feel like being touchy with someone you could go back to the party and be with one of all the guys who was giving you looks and and almost taking off your clothes with their eyes, as if she weren’t making you ride her cock right now 🥰 so she makes you settle for resting your hands on your own thighs, barely getting enough energy to ride her without getting tired from how much she was pushing you right now

and she looked attractive... resting her head against the headboard, the front brim of her cowboy hat casting shadows that fell across her cheeks, highlighting her sharp jaw and her full lips that were starting to swell from how much wonyoung was biting them...

until wonyoung gets fed up with you taking so long and decides to take matters into her own hands 😭 grabbing you by the neck and switching positions with you, grabbing you by the ankles and pushing your knees against your chest, forcing you into a mating press and using her body to push your legs further into your chest to the point where you’re practically bent in half 🫠 of course she makes sure you stay in that position, hands resting on the back of your knees and taking it upon herself to push them further against your chest whenever she feels you’re getting too comfortable

pinning you to the mattress and fucking you in a way that wasn’t letting you have any kind of coherent thought 😩 wonyoung was ramming her cock into you at a relentless pace, loving how your breathing was so ragged you sounded like a panting dog, breathy moans coming from your lips, the volume getting louder and louder… she would have said something about wanting you to look into her eyes while she destroys your pussy, but seeing your eyes roll to the back of your head on their own was something that was driving her crazy and had unlocked something new in her

wonyoung was trying to contain her moans from the beginning, but she reached a point where she could no longer repress them, giving in and giving in to her pleasure, whimpering more and more loudly and starting to say “baby please please please–” when she was the one who had complete control of the situation and you couldn’t do anything about it 😭 she always tries to maintain a mean and dominant attitude, but the best part is when that facade breaks and she ends up being nothing more than your sweet girlfriend who just wants to please you <3

cumming inside you with a sweet moan, filling you with her seed completely to the brim 🫠 wonyoung dropping her head forward, burying her face in the crook of your neck and panting in a noticeably agitated state, completely exhausted

and if you thought that was the end of things, you were very wrong! because yes, wonyoung gets up on top of your body and gets off the bed, making you think that she would prepare the bathroom for you to take a shower to calm down after a hectic moment, but she just starts taking off her clothes, letting you know that she wasn’t done with you yet and that cute cowboy hat still 😇

[andy-wm]

Moving out, Moving in

Mission accomplished by sleight of hand?

This is just a collection of thoughts so it's probably full of holes, but it seems to me that Jimin and Jungkook always have a plan in motion.

I guess it's not surprising since they live and work in a fast paced environment in which most of their waking hours are scheduled to the max. It's not just the day to day that's planned down to the wire, their albums and tours are planned years ahead of time and coordinated with military precision.

Their lives run on plans and schedules

Random anecdote: Someone I was friendly with a couple of years ago worked on the BTS Samsung ads as a translator. She described how she was expected to be awake and ready to take calls and edit copy at literally any time of the day or night. Hybe does not sleep. There are staff all over the world, working around the clock. Time is money.

We've all heard these stories, right? So we can imagine the project/event management going on there. The place must run like a Swiss watch.

When you live like that it becomes your normal, so i have no doubt ALL the members are used to planning out their lives.

Also, when you have hardly any free time you use it carefully. If you want to do anything you have to plan and schedule it.

I'm not suggesting they project manage all these things on their own. What's the point of having an endless well of money if you can't hire people to help you make life happen the way you want it to. But I am saying they would know that if they don't plan it, it aint gonna happen.

So, back to Jikook and their plans.

Solo albums

Despite how different their solo album were in terms of musical styles and themes, their promotional materials were astonishingly similar. From colour palettes to photo styling to identical outfits they were far too similar for it to be a coincidence. In fact, if those albums had been people walking down a street they would have been couple dressing without a doubt.

Are You Sure

The travel adventures they squeezed in between deadlines and performances must have been carefully orchestrated too.

Home sweet home

And let's not forget Jungkook finding time to design, plan, and execute the building of the Itaewon house in between everything else.

They plan down to the fine details. And they also play the long game. It's how they're used to operating.

Keep that in mind as i move onto the next thought. This is the interesting bit...

Military service.

It's a reality for every able bodied man in Korea. For a group like BTS it's another thing that would have been carefully considered. Enlistment timing, yes, and every other variable they could choose: locations, divisions, roles etc.

They would have been thinking about their options for MS from the time they were eligible to enlist. Jungkook would have been acutely aware that his tattoos would prevent him from doing anything in security. But that didn't prevent him from inking up his whole arm.

So, we can assume other plans or priorities for MS existed even then.

And those plans included a major decision:

Companion enlistment.

They would have thought carefully about this, having heard all the horror stories of how it can go wrong.

Besides that, despite being dismissed as no biggie by most of the fandom it is extremely rare for idols to enlist as companions.

I did the research. There might be one other occurrence of this. Enlisting at the same time does happen (still rare) but as companions... almost never.

It meant their enlistment was even more newsworthy. They must have known it would highlight their closeness. Was that a conscious choice too?

Maybe.

Everyone, not just jikookers, knows they're inseparable now. It's proof for those who needed it that their relationship is genuine and not fan service.

If they were concerned about how their relationship was perceived i guess thats a bonus. But they coukd have just been more visible in Seoul.

So I'm still asking myself... why?

Why take the chance? Why risk the relationship? So many couples just have to deal with the MS separation, it's simply a fact of life. All the other members had to go through it alone. Jimin and Jungkook could have done it too. They spent months barely seeing each other when they were on solo schedules.

And I'm absolutely not denying they most likely wanted to be together if at all possible. But besides that, what could be gained? Its a long game, remember... so what could be their ultimate goal here?

Where will this lead?

What comes next for them?

Logically the biggest thing for any of the members one they've completed their MS, is their adult life. On a personal level it's the next step.

Nobody is naive enough to think these guys are still going to play boyfriend to the fandom. Not when Hobi our sunshine, who wouldn't even show his armpit on camera, describes the Sweet Dreams lyrics as BEST HOT SEX and then adds 'am I right?' with a smirk because he knows ARMY are all adults too (or that's the part of the fandom he's choosing to engage with).

There's going to be an expectation - or for some ARMYs a resigned acceptance - that the members will actively date, maybe settle down and have a long term partner or a family. But it's only acceptable for those who are going to date or marry a woman. It'd have to be an unknown and discreet or better yet totally secret lover if they're with any other gender.

Which brings us back to Jikook

So what might adult life look like for our lovebirds?

<<content warning: unbridled speculation>>

As a person who believes they're in a long term intimate relationship with plans for a future together, i think they'd want to share a home.

Could they share a home & future?

Imagine the absolute pandemonium that would ensue if Jimin and Jungkook suddenly paired up and set up house together. It would be wild. Possibly the most scandalous thing to ever happen to kpop. The press would roast them, carve them up, and serve the to the nation for dinner. Every conservative right wing mouthpiece would have an opinion on their morality. It would be hideous.

Unless....

Unless they didn't need to suddenly pair up because they were already living together!

Like maybe... as companion enlisted soldiers. And not just any ordinary soldiers but cream of the crop, highly commended, much adored soldiers. Soldiers who have done their nation proud together.

By enlisting together they've already bridged the possibly fatal social chasm they needed to navigate (aka rampant homophobia) if they wanted to move in together.

They ALREADY live together

They've done the hard bit.

It would be no big deal, really to continue to do so. All they'll be doing is relocating to the house in Itaewon.

And my goodness what serendipitous timing... the build was completed while they were snuggled up in their barracks so there's no awkward in between stage. They can just slide right in to their cosy new home and nobody can really say a thing.

What a cunning plan

Now before anyone yells at me of course i have no idea what their plans are. Zero. Nobody does except their trusted circle. This is entirely fabricated. But ya know what?

It's also entirely possible.

💜🏠💛

[butterflydm]

Additional WoT 3x04 thoughts

That was so good. Okay, now that I've gotten some sleep, some more thoughts. spoilers for the show through 3x04 and for the books through the fires of heaven

Rand's journey through the columns kinda washed it away for me at the time, but I did really love the beginning with Rand and Lan, and us getting some insight into what Rand is getting out of his training sessions with Lan, and the ways in which Lan is treating him like an adult capable of making his own choices, and Rand's reservations about any potential relationship he might have to the Aiel people.

Of course, we the audience know that Lan is still keeping Moiraine's secrets for her (including that time she let Rand and all his friends get attacked by Lanfear), but I don't think Rand ever forgets that Lan is Moiraine's Warder.

We got two transformative journeys for relationships last night and I'm glad that they gave those two moments to Rand & Aviendha near the beginning and the end of the episode, and the way that Aviendha looked at him at the end! (and how she ran away from him lol oh baby, run as hard as you can but you can't outrun wanting to bang that man like a house shingle in a storm). Her straight-up picking a fight with him at the beginning because him using a sword so close to Rhuidean reminds her that she's wearing weapons when she knows that she's been called to be a Wise One but she ran away from her duty instead of following her duty to her people! Everything that we had with Rand and Aviendha was so perfect.

And the other one, of course, being the journey that Rand and Moiraine took together. So, I mentioned last night that I do get why they didn't want Mat there... I love Mat's story in the Waste, with Rand, but Mat being there does (I am reluctantly forced to admit) undercut the specific character and relationship arcs that we are currently undergoing with Rand and that we probably need to undergo with Rand in order to get him where he needs to be with his relationships in the future. Mat being there means we need to carve out a third storyline in Rhuidean. Mat being there means that Lanfear needs to haunt him too (trying to drive him away from Rand) the way that she's haunting Egwene, or else her entire premise (I'm the Only One Who Cares About You, Rand) falls completely to pieces. Show!Mat, especially, is genuinely such an amazing friend that he completely destroys Lanfear's manipulation attempts simply by existing near Rand, and this story that they're telling, where Rand might potentially believe Lanfear when she says that no one would love him if they knew the truth about him, gets a harder shake if Mat is there trying to lift his spirits. Egwene is in the same sort of dark place that Rand is (in part because of Lanfear torturing her every night to keep her there) and Rand also has so much guilt surrounding his relationship with her, both elements that aren't there in his friendship with Mat.

So, yeah, I get it.

But I do really hope that we get our s4 (and s5+) so that we can have Mat back in Rand's storyline and making him smile again. <3

Rand and Moiraine did go on a very transformative journey, both together and separate. I loved how we see at the beginning exactly why Rand is wary with her, and yet how Moiraine can sincerely believe she has "done nothing but help him" even though we've literally seen her sit and do nothing while he and his friends were calling for help in 3x01. Their moments at Avendasora together, and Rand realizing how connected their threads have been, with her uncle being the one who set into motion the events that led to his birth on Dragonmount. And then their looks toward each other at the end of the episode. Definitely very interested to see what they will have to say to each other in 3x05!

I loved all the interactions that we saw Rand having with all the Aiel characters! That was all so good. We got some really great stuff, and it was pretty book-accurate but it was translated to screen so well. Amys-with-a-Bair-nametag was great; Melaine was great, Sevenna was great (...a sentence I would never say about book!Sevenna); Couladin was great, etc and so forth! I loved all the interactions.

The horror of the thousand-thousand futures was really well done -- to start with a future that seemed happy but that would doom the world (Moiraine a happy fishwife, smiling at Siuan) to the futures where Lanfear kills her in so many different ways. You really can feel that there's only a narrow path forward that Moiraine needs to forge. We know that we're going to get Moiraine talking to Lan about the rings (presumably in 3x05) so I'm interested to see what else she tells him that we didn't already see in the trailers. We saw so many different ways she tried to guide Rand (and they DID include the one where she and Rand became lovers, I noticed!) and so many ways it ended in death and doom.

Moiraine straight-up stealing the strongest sa'angreal in the world from the Aiel people! Definitely in character but girl, damn! And that was before she saw any of the futures, so it wasn't even her thinking that she would need it for something specific in a future vision.

And the centerpiece of the episode. Rand's journey into the past. It was so good.

I'm really glad that we got the scenes with Janduin! "Shade of my heart!" Him telling her that they'd won, desperately cupping her face but not feeling any warmth. That was so heartbreaking. Giving Rand this moment in particular was a good way for the show to lead into Rand being more deeply affected by the columns than he was in the books, because this mirrors the grief that he saw his father (Tam) go through when they lost his mother (Kari). It instantly gave him a point of connection that he could deeply relate to -- as his adoptive father loved and lost his wife too soon, his blood father loved and lost his wife too soon. Seeing and feeling how deeply his mother was loved, and how deeply his own absence was felt by his father, it gives him a starting connection to his bloodline that we're able to trace through to his previous ancestors.

The formation of Rhuidean, and seeing ancient Latra. The last of the Aes Sedai from the Age of Legends (who isn't a Forsaken trapped in a seal). Gorgeous. And we also once again the reinforcement of "shade of my heart" as an endearment.

Lewin! I saw someone calling him hobbit!Rand and, yes! There were definite hobbit vibes going on with his hair. This vision was truly the formation of the Aiel as who they are today. I am going to say, I kinda like that the show didn't feel the need to call out the moment when the Maidens first picked up the spear, because that just makes it feel more assumed that, yeah, just as some men decided to make this choice, women started deciding it too.

This whole sequence was so heartbreaking! And I definitely noticed that they made Lewin's friends reminiscent of Mat & Perrin. The scene between Lewin and his mother at the end is so much. "I had a son with a face like that once. I do not want to see it on a killer."

I feel like this specific moment in time is the one that kills so many Aiel who try to go through the columns. Learning that their entire way of life is based on breaking their oaths to be committed to peace. That what they believed was a noble thing about not touching swords is actually a last desperate attempt to hold onto any remaining honor after losing the Way of the Leaf.

Poor Jonai, struggling with the Way of the Leaf and remaining firm to it, as the Tuatha'an choose to break their ancestors' oaths and abandon their duty to safeguard what the Aes Sedai left them. I really like the connection we had with Adan his grandson being a small boy in this one, and then being Lewin's grandfather in the vision just before it. That really helped with a sense of emotional continuity. Adan's entire life was this journey to the east! Bookended by loss and violence and yet Adan never wavered in his own commitment to the Way of the Leaf.

And I had originally thought that our queer!Rand ancestor was Jonai, but I don't believe he got a name, and I think he was Jonai's grandfather. What a wonderful surprise he was. I adored his scene with Latra, and getting to see Josha do entire scenes in the Old Tongue was such a delight. Every one of the ancestors felt so sharply drawn and unique, but this one in particular really really drew me in even before we found out he was queer, though that definitely helped me feel even more connected to him <3 <3

He's so quiet and sincere and earnest. Committed to his duty and the honor that it brings him. Reminds me of Warders, in a way (with much less fighting lol), instead of the kind of generational servitude that original Aiel were in the books. And seeing how futuristic the wagons were, comparing to the wooden wagons that we see two generations later with Jonai!

And we end with Charn, speaking to Mierin and seeing the Bore, and catching a glimpse of the Dark One!

This scene was so good! We once again saw Charn's devotion and his genuine joy in his work, like we did with his descendant -- he seemed interested in what Mierin Sedai was saying about finding a source of power that anyone could use, but mentioned that he wouldn't want to use it to bring the harvest in, because he finds value and joy in doing it with his own hands.

I loved the way that the Bore looked. It really did look like a crack in reality.

And Mierin was great. She was warm and kind with Charn, but there were hints there of what would grow to consume her in the future -- her telling Charn the importance of not letting go of the ones you love... actually, Mierin, you definitely should let them go if they break up with you and marry someone else! That's definitely the point at which you should let them go!

I am very curious if Mierin will come up the next time Rand talks to Lanfear.

The journey of the tree throughout the episode! How the object of power rested inside its branches as it was small, as it waited for Latra to find it again. I really like how Latra was the one who created Rhuidean! And how devastating it must have been to her, to see what the Aiel had become, after we saw the relationship that she had with the Aiel when she was younger, during the very beginnings of the breaking of the world. And this also shows us the lifespan of how long powerful Aes Sedai could live, and how many 'normal' lives it spans.

What a brilliant episode.

[dodgeballstuckonthegymceiling]

Instead of carrying out Poppy's plans, if Reader stood up to the prototype alone and died with the prototype to save Doey and the other dolls of safe haven, what would be Doey, Poppy, and Kissy's reaction?

Reader firmly promised to leave the factory with the prototype before stepping forward, but the promise was ultimately broken.

If you feel bad about this, you can ignore it completely.

I would never ignore a chance to write something angsty!

If you like my work, please consider commissioning me or leaving a tip on Ko-fi (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)

Player who died with the prototype

Doey

★You lied to him. He trusted you, trusted that you could save them all from the Prototype. That you and all his friends could be free. But after everything you've been through, you finally ran out of luck. The player left and didn't come back.

★ Holding one of the Player’s belongings they left behind. A scarf, glove or earring. Something insignificant then but precious now. He has an internal argument about what happened to you. "Why did they lie? Why did they leave? I could’ve stopped them. We should’ve stopped them."

★ He remembers their smile, their determination to help, the way they trusted him to keep everyone safe. And how, in the end, he couldn’t save them. They promised. They promised they’d come back. But they didn’t.

★ Doey clings to your promise, even though he knows it is broken. They will all leave the factory someday, but you won't be there to see it. Now that the Prototype is gone, they're free. He just wishes you could've been free with him.

Poppy

★ Poppys first reaction is anger. She’s furious that the Player didn’t listen to her, that they chose to go alone despite her having a plan. "You should have followed my plan. Why didn’t you listen?!" She mutters to herself as she paces around the Safe Haven.

★ Even though she is angry at you, she can't deny the sense of relief that floods her porcelain body. The Prototype, her biggest threat, is gone. Though that relief quickly feels like a knife twisting in her chest. Because it came at the cost of your life.

★ As time moves on, she tries to rationalize what happened. “They knew what they were doing.” Poppy thinks. “The Prototype was too dangerous to let live, it had to end like this.” But even then, a small voice in the back of her head tells her otherwise.

Kissy

★ At first, she's numb. Standing still and not knowing how to feel. The reality of it doesn’t sink in until much later, when she’s back in Safe Haven with the others. Surrounded by toys alive because of the Player’s decision. It hits her all at once.

★ She breaks down away from the others, in a quiet corner of the Safe Haven. Back against a wall as she covers her eyes with a hand and begins to cry. Sobs barely audible but still loud enough to gain the attention of poppy. Who comforts kissy to the best of her ability.

★ Though she knows it was the Player’s choice, she can't help but feel responsible. Replaying the moments leading up to the players decision in her head. Wondering if she could have done anything to stop you. Every time, she reaches the same conclusion, she couldn't.

[verycoolusername1]

What A Suprise

Summary: In which Ethan is always coming back to you, no matter the circumstance.

Track 5 of short n' sweet - coincidence

Warning! Drinking, mentions of cheating, and mentions of a toxic relationship.

A/N: thought about writing them to be toxic lowkey... so here's this!

Idrk know what genre this is so uh I'm just gonna take a guess and say angst-

But I can say the ending is open to interpretation, it can honestly be anything.

Ethan had gotten into another fight with his current girlfriend, it was obvious they were gonna break up soon.

Didn't help that Ethan was undressing you with his eyes as if his 'girlfriend' wasn't next to him.

You honestly could care less about the party, didn't want to go in the first place.

But of course your friends begged you relentlessly and eventually you gave in.

You swayed around with them, giggling as you did so, the buzz from the vodka in your system could feel Ethan's eyes no matter where he was.

You didn't want to give him the satisfaction right now as you came to have fun with your friends, not to be a second choice.

You and Ethan have been going back and forth for a couple of years, he hasn't realized how much he hurt you as it didn't matter.

You always came back to him in the end and vice versa. There was something about him that was so intoxicating.

You weren't ready for a relationship after getting cheated on by your ex and he respected that decision, but it was really pathetic by getting some random girl to be his girlfriend for the week to get you back in his arms.

That was low, even for him.

"I'm gonna go to the bathroom." You screamed over the music to yell at your friend who just nodded.

Ethan watched you with dark eyes as he trailed you to the bathroom, his pupils dilating as he watches your backside.

You were washing your hands when you heard the familiar knock, only one person would knock three times.

You opened the door slowly, it was Ethan standing on the other side. He obviously had something to drink.

"Need to use the bathroom?" You tried to be polite but the look in his eyes were luring.

Ethan shakes his head in refusal. "Can I come in?"

You debated with yourself mentally, but decided to let him in the bathroom.

"You're drunk, Ethan." You stated the obvious.

"Everyone's drunk." Ethan mumbles.

"I'm not doing this with you tonight." You sighed. "I'm taking you to your dorm, where's your girlfriend uh lily?"

"Ex-girlfriend." He corrects. "She broke up with me, said her ex was better."

"Let's get you back to the dorm." You put his arm on your shoulder, trying to steady him.

"Can I go to yours?" Ethan whispered. "Don't uh want the guys to see me like this."

You nodded. "Yeah, yeah, we can do that."

Really? You're gonna let him go to your dorm knowing what it will lead to when he's sober. Great job!

You thought as you mutter to yourself that "This was a stupid idea."

You two left the party and did the long walk to your dorm, not wanting to bug your friend and take her car just to pick her up again.

Ethan was mumbling to himself about everything and nothing at all.

You unlocked the door to your dorm and headed inside, you placed Ethan on your bed.

You got a glass of water and some pills for him to take in the morning, and placed it on the nightstand.

As you turned to leave, Ethan took ahold of your wrist. "Don't leave." He looked up at you with glossy eyes.

You tried to reason with him. "Ethan you're drunk, you aren't thinking straight."

"Maybe not before but I'm am right now." Ethan begged.

You sighed. "Just for tonight."

Ethan broke out in a grin and opened up his arms, you layed down without hesitation.

"Y/n?" Ethan mumbled.

You glanced up at him. "Yes?"

"You know I just want you right? No matter how hard it gets, I'll always wait for you." Ethan confessed.

You swore you felt your heart skipped a beat at his words, you can't help but feel like it's another trick.

You also can't help but feel like he's telling the truth and he means it.

"Ethan, what are you talking about?" You glanced up at him.

"They aren't you y/n, never can be." Ethan whispered. "I just want you. Let me prove it to you that I'm serious, serious about this, and serious about you."

You took in his words and let out a shaky breath, you don't know what gotten into him tonight and you definitely don't care enough to know.

"Goodnight Ethan." You spoke, slightly above a whisper. Not trusting your voice beyond that.

You've taken the moment to realize that Ethan never spoke like this to you when he was sober. Maybe he's lying, maybe he isn't. You didn't quite care about that though.

You're already getting loss in the bliss that is the man you knew would be beside you in your bed the next morning, you feel a sensation between your legs just thinking about it.

[doctorgirlsblog]

When Loyalty Fails (series)

Chapter 5: Morning after

The first rays of sun crept through the hotel window, casting long shadows across the rumpled sheets. Max hadn't slept at all. The echoes of Lina's moans, still vibrated in his ears. He kept staring at the ceiling, feeling anger and regret mixing and slowly swimming to the surface. He wanted to confront her, to go and knock on their door, but with what excuse? Lina made her choice, and so did he.

He forced himself out of bed, going to take a shower, hoping it will clear his head. When he was done, he looked at his reflection, his tired eyes starring back at him. He got dressed quickly, needing to leave that damn room. As he waited for elevator, his eyes kept starring at their room door. But as fate will always have it, when the elevator door opened, starring back at him, was none other than Lina herself.

''Morning.'' he murmured, turning his back to her as the elevator closed. For a second he thought that she won't answer at all, but then he heard her faint ''Morning.''

He didn't want to bother her, but if he hadn't said anything, he thought he would burst. ''Can we please talk? Nicely?''

She sighed in defeat, obviously not in the mood to argue.

''I'm going to breakfast. You can join, if you want. But I'm not in a mood to fight Max. I don't want to ruin my day.''

Hope blossomed inside him at her words. Maybe everything wasn't lost.

''Of course. Thank you.''

As they sat down in the lobby, silence wrapped itself around them, neither saying much. Max looked into her eyes. ''You have changed.''

She smiled bitterly. "I'm not that same girl you left, Max. One that screamed inside, begging you to JUST see me, to be there. To be present. But you never were. And when I saw those two pink lines I knew it was enough. I deserved better. My child deserved better."

"I deserved to know." Max whispered.

"You did.That's why I tried telling you, like five times in a row. You didn't let me. And if loving me was so hard and draining, I'm glad you'd let me go then. Because Charles had no problem even drowning in it, as long as I was by his side.''

"She is still my child! I deserve to be part of her life."

"And you will be. I'm not that cruel. But I won't let you make my child lose her dad. He is everything to her Max. You can't understand it. Sometimes I think she loves him even more than she loves me. She is his little girl, Max. You can't take that away from her, or from Charles. I won't allow it."

Max nodded, smiling sadly. ''I understand. I would never hurt her, I promise. I just want to meet her, to get to know her. I won't say a thing.''

''Good. I'll let Charles know, and then three of us will talk together, once we're back home."

A fragile silence settled over the table, and Lina decided it was time to leave. As she stood up, her hand brushed against Max's, unintentional touch sending shivers through him. She said nothing more, grabbing her phone before she stepped away. Max just watched her, his mind arguing with him. He probably misread it. It didn't mean anything to her. Why would it after all, he heard them loud and clear last night. He couldn't afford to shatter this fragile peace and truce they had just established.

But the other side of Max, the irracional one, the one that usually took over when he raced, the one that couldn't give up or let himself lose, couldn't bear this polite game any longer. He needed to know, needed to feel something, anything, other than this suffocating emptiness.

"Lina, wait a second!" he jogged towards her, where she stood waiting for the elevator that led to the garage.

She looked at him, raising one eyebrow in question. ''Yes?''

Well, this part Max didn't think through.

''I..I need to tell you something.'' in that moment the elevator arrived, and without thinking about it he stepped inside with her, looking at her as she pulled out her car keys. ''Okay, but please be quick. I have somewhere to be.''

Max took a deep breath. ''Okay.'' Elevator opened again as they stepped out in the dimly lit garage. Max took her arm, making her spin around to face him in question.

''What are you doing?!''

''Lina..'' he said softly, letting go of her arm, as she took a step back, coming to the wall.

Yet it wasn't away enough.

Little devil on his left shoulder pushed him to go forward, closing the made distance between them. He needed to feel her near, just this once, to see if there was still something there. His breath brushed across her face, and she kept her gaze low, refusing to meet his eyes. He saw the subtle tremor in her hands, the way she clenched her fists, and he knew she was fighting her own internal battle.

It all happened in a blur, a desperate, impulsive act. Max cupped her face, his thumbs tracing the delicate curve of her cheekbones, and kissed her, his lips crashing against hers. He saw her wide eyes, filled with shock and a flicker of something that came and went quickly, as she pushed him away, her hands trembling.

"Lina I-" he didn't get to finish it as his head snapped to the right, the sharp sting of a slap echoing through the quiet garage.

"Don't you ever dare to do that again! Ever!" The harshness in her voice was clear, and Max didn't know what hurt more: the sting of the slap that still rang in his ears, or the cold refusal. What had he done?

She left out a shuttered breath, refusing to lose her composure.

"You know, I think about you sometimes. About what we had, what happened. But I have never wanted you again,"

Max stayed glued to his spot as she went past him, leaving him with teary eyes.

"Lina wait!"

Max run after her to her parked car.

"Max leave me alone, please. Please." Her steps got quicker and more determined as she kept walking to her rented Audi.

"Lina, verdammt! Will you stop already?"

-"Why? Why Max?! So you can give me hope again? So you can make me shut up and dream about a life I'll never have, again? Wasn't once enough? Do you get off on making me suffer?"

Max opened and closed his mouth not knowing what to say to that. She was right.

"That's what I thought. Just leave me alone already!" and with a shake of her head, she opened the door, getting inside the car before speeding away with a loud screech of the tires, not even sparing a glance in his direction.

As the roar of her car faded into the distance, Max stood frozen, his hands balled into fists at his sides, the scent of burnt rubber and her lingering perfume filling his nose.

How had he managed to fuck everything up, again?

●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●

Lina gripped the steering wheel harder, her knuckles turning white, whole body trembling. The hotel receded in the rearview mirrors, as the tears blurred her vision. She blinked them back, refusing to let them fall. She had to focus, had to keep driving.

Anger, raw and sharp, mixed itself with sadness. His kiss, after all these years, had shattered the walls she had built around her heart. It had been a cruel reminder of the past, of the love she had tried so hard to bury.

Why did he have to do that? she thought, her hands tightening on the wheel again. Why couldn't he just leave her alone? She had moved on, built a life for herself and her daughter, alongside Charles. Her Charles. Max had no place in that life.

But the kiss, the feel of his lips on hers, had ignited a spark of something she thought had died a long time ago.

She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. She couldn't afford to dwell on the past, to succumb to the temptation of old feelings. She had a fiance for fuck's sake!

She parked the car near the beach, stepping out, welcoming the peace of the early morning. She walked towards the water, the sand soft beneath her feet. The waves crashed against the shore, a rhythmic sound that soothed her troubled soul. She sat down on a rock, watching as the waves hit her feet softly.

Could she really leave the past behind?

Tag list: @samriddhisingh @janeh22 @anamiad00msday @anunstablefangirl

[antiporn-activist]

Sometimes I write angry letters. Maybe once a year. They are usually pretty good. This one is from 2021 but I maybe forgot to post it here. I post it now to prove I can actually write something longer than a paragraph when I put my mind to it.

In reference to this podcast: https://www.thisamericanlife.org/740/transcript

I wrote this:

As a loyal listener of your podcast going back at least six years, I’ve never felt a need to email you, but then again, I’ve never heard such a crappy segment as you aired recently. In it, Lina Misitzis reports on Kara, a "sex worker" unhappy with the FOSTA-SESTA law passed by Congress.

Where to begin?

Firstly, your reporter uses the term "sex worker" throughout her piece without acknowledging the people in and out of the sex industry who refuse to use that term. Ireland's Rachel Moran, author of Paid For, uses the term "prostituted" to describe herself: "I wasn't a prostitute, I was prostituted...there's a very big, significant difference." England's Rebecca Mott agrees, submitting this testimony to Nordic Model Now:"I hate the term sex work. It is a lie. It is mental violence to those of us who have the reality of being prostituted inside every cell of our bodies. It is a language that erases male violence, erases how organized the sex trade is, and erases any access to human rights for the prostituted." Sarah Ditum, writing in the New Statesman, quotes Daisy, recruited into prostitution as a teenage runaway: “I would not use that phrase. No woman is a ‘sex worker’. It's not work, it's abuse." Does your reporter state her reasons for choosing the trendy term sex work over prostitution? She does not.

So we are introduced to Kara at age 17, "a runaway in Orlando working at a pizza place. She decided to try becoming a stripper, figuring it would be better money, but she really didn't know anything about it. She had no idea what she was doing." What were the realistic options for a teenage girl out on her own to support herself financially? What were the obstacles and barriers to her success? Why did she choose stripping over say, community college? What were the safety risks of being a runaway? Why did she run away in the first place? Your reporter doesn't say. Also, how does a 17-year-old get a job as a stripper? Isn’t that…illegal? It is, and this makes Kara a sex trafficking victim from the day she begins stripping. But your reporter doesn't mention that either.

Next, we hear about Kara being coerced into seven years of prostitution, coordinated by her violent pimp, Larry. Calling it “being raped all day,” Kara sees 3 to 6 clients daily for seven years. If you add it all up, that’s somewhere between 7,000 and 15,000 rapes by the time she’s 25. Seven years of complex, accumulated sexual trauma, added to the child sexual abuse that’s mentioned very briefly. Does Kara get any professional help with processing that, or is her trauma left unresolved? Your reporter doesn’t say, but Kara does, referring to “my lack of healing.”

When we pick up Kara’s story again, we learn she’s having trouble finding a “regular” job after escaping her traffickers, as potential employers doing background checks are finding her arrest records. She concludes, “So my next option was to do what I knew how to do.” Here’s an opportunity for your reporter to identify the true barrier to Kara being able to move on with her life - not that anti-trafficking bill she hates, but a shocking lack of services for a victim of sex trafficking, such as transitional housing, vocational counseling, trauma-focused counseling, or legal assistance to have her records expunged. Were any of these services ever offered to Kara? Why or why not? We don’t know, because your reporter doesn’t tell us.

But the very worst part of the segment is yet to come. When Kara does return to prostitution, it is framed as a choice: “At this point in her life, what Kara was doing was sex work, which means performing any sex act in exchange for money. Lots of things make it different from being trafficked, but the biggest one is Kara chose to do it. She wasn't being forced or coerced.”

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?

You want us to believe that a former teenage runaway, with no family support, no high school diploma, zero “real” job skills, an arrest record, years upon years of sexual trauma, who urgently needs to feed herself and cannot find a job…is exercising any kind of free will? Where is your critical analysis? Where is your compassion? Where is your common sense?

Something is a choice only when there is at least one other option to be had. What was her other option, starvation or starvation? Do you honestly believe a desperate young woman like Kara would freely choose continuing in prostitution if given a better option? We know she wouldn’t, given that she was TRYING TO FIND ANOTHER JOB.

Framing it as a free choice is irresponsible and makes your reporter seem dangerously naïve, or possibly desperate for woke points from the Portland camgirl contingent. Either way, it's pretty shameful.

In conclusion, this piece was a mess from start to finish, and I can’t believe it passed through your editing process.

Do better, Ira.

Love, Me

[notmorbid]

we could be rats.

dialogue prompts from we could be rats by emily r. austin.

that's the most insensitive thing you could have said.

i never say the right thing.

i wasn't the type of kid who wanted to be a teenager.

there were times i thought i hated you.

maybe if we'd met as adults, things would have been different.

i was the kind of kid who believed toys had hearts and souls.

nothing is ever purely good, is it? there's always a rotten piece.

i'm not depressed. i feel great.

i'm not the same person you knew.

did you feel like you knew me, the last couple of years?

i don't think i've ever been described as 'smart' before.

would it help to hear a joke?

why didn't the skeleton go to the party? because they had no body to go with.

am i getting too morbid?

i have you listed as my next of kin.

do you think i'm being insensitive and gruesome?

just bury me in a garbage bag.

i never really honed being well-mannered, did i?

i think i've accidentally made up white lies that were ruder than the truth.

creeps like us have to stay alive.

we haven't put a label on it.

i think your definition of 'creep' might be different than mine.

say i was abducted by aliens, or something.

are you mad at me? it's okay, if you are.

is my tone making you madder? i bet it is.

i don't plan to haunt you.

____ is like a comic book villain. like a caricature of a bad guy.

listen to people who have different experiences than you do.

you're being an asshole.

we're supposed to examine what's wrong, or it festers.

i used to think i could do anything.

what happened? are you hurt?

do i look normal to you?

the actual experience is never quite what's promised, is it?

it feels like i'm not the target audience for a lot of life.

tell people to fuck off more. take what you want. stir shit up.

everybody knows you.

i feel like i'm still a kid here.

i always cared about you.

everything will be fine. we'll find our way.

it didn't occur to me that not panicking was an option.

i feel sort of reborn.

it's hard to balance being both happy and considerate.

it's kinder to lie sometimes, right?

i'd rather be a pig than a cop. pigs are adorable.

being grown up feels like playing a board game with no instructions.

masks meld onto your face.

let's egg their car.

remember swinging, when you were a kid?

'to thine own self be true', or whatever.

people judge others by their own standards.

i don't remember how i got here.

i feel like i was cast as a character i'm not able to play.

i wouldn't want to live forever. would you?

i'm not sure there's a way to be alive without upsetting people.

inaction is an action.

dying is less scary than growing up.

is this actually happening? am i dreaming?

the trick to lying is to convince yourself.

i don't want you to feel sorry for me.

i feel like i don't know the things i'm supposed to. i feel like i'm pretending.

revolution is about creation, not destruction.

sometimes it's kinder to let people believe they're helping you, even when they're not.

i'd like to see where you grew up.

it sounds like a lot of people want to help you.

do you have people who want to help you?

did you egg my house?

there's no way the moon is a dude. she's got a soulful face. she's gorgeous.

we don't actually get much choice in life, do we?

i think i'm gay.

thinking about _____ sort of knocks the wind out of me.

if i hadn't met you, i'd be a totally different person.

i know i'm unbearable, but what else can i be?

i have a history of bad judgment.

what the hell did you just call me?

i'm not interested in small talk with people who offend or insult me.

i used to believe everyone was good.

i thought everyone felt that way.

did you hear it was on the news?

deep down, we're all who we were when we were kids.

being an adult is about re-finding who you were when you were eight years old.

i don't want to be someone who hurts people. i don't think i was meant to be that.

have you been outside today?

[dootznbootz]

I'm happy that the "Helen is of Sparta, not Troy" post is getting seen and people are giving love to her as they should but I'm getting a wee bit frustrated by the Menelaus inclusion with the whole "She was a possession to others and never had a choice".

Yes, Helen is a victim of fate and multiple horrible circumstances. She gets kidnapped by Theseus and Paris. So much blame is being put on her when she really isn't at fault and doesn't have much choice.

A choice she made though? WAS MENELAUS!

The Oath of Tyndareus was all about how "If you want to have a chance of marrying her, you have to swear to respect her and her choice and defend their marriage if it's needed".

If anything, Menelaus was her "prize"! Not the other way around!!! And they are clearly shown caring for one another!!! uyfuygluhyutfugy

[shannonsketches]

Disregard that last post, OP's definitely mad that Bulla is treated like a toddler and Trunks is treated like a teenager askljda

[katerinaaqu]

I see fair enough thanks for filling in the details.

Still makes not much sense based on her lore. As I said most of the time her lore states once or twice men coming after her (very similar to medieval witch hunt scenes in fantasy movies if one thinks about it) but in both those cases she faced the threats without any real problem! Like she looks to me more like Maleficent being attacked in the original animated scene than anything else hehehe

She didn't let anyone get near her. Her tragedy seems to be more based on the dreams she had or the fact that she had to witness a murder (and she didn't seem like a scared girl in that case either. So yes I think Miller added that only for the sakes of making Circe have a reason to turn men into pigs. Because even Argonautica have her already have this...hobby before. As for the essence of goddesses being trapped it seems interesting once more because PJO also uses this and say "oh poor Calypso was trapped and cursed on Ogygia". It seems a pattern here not gonna lie. But again maybe we can speak on the isolation of the goddess or her taking from Colchis as I mentioned to my reply to @venomspecs here to the west while her brother resides to the east. One can use that essence of her isolation and missing her brother without making her bitter of the gods In fact we do not see Circe be bitter against anyone especially the more powerful than her. She mentions Hermes and Poseidon among others and she advises Odysseus how to offer proper sacrifices and all but we do not see her vindictive or bitter because exactly her experiences by n large regardless of the source involve her own agency. The parts that we can pinpoint do not even see that many.

Ironically despite the fact that she does seem so, she also seems just in some things and only loses it in anger or when she is under strong emotional state. But she WAS proper towards others if they needed it. And she DOES help Odysseus and seems genuinely interested in him Her relationship with him is definitely one of power imbalance in Homer. no matter what SHE has the upper hand. Not Odysseus. The romance if one exists is one-sided (as per Odysseus's words also) and yes I feel sad and kinda angry that even though we do bring more and more the aspect of coercion when it comes to other figures of mythology we still remove it when men like Odysseus or even Bellerephontes are concerned or even Peleus. Both Bellerephontes and Peleus suffered accusations of rape by women that tried to seduce them as well. Odysseus was actually coerced and trapped into it as well. Miller seems to totally erase that context for the sake of this story.

Hmm I think I see where you wanna get with it. That Miller's obsession with the whole "I have no control over my fate" thing with Circe somehow showing to the writing that Odysseus did not have a choice at all. Ironically not even the gods have the power to change fate. Miller forgot to mention how ZEUS himself saw the fate and destiny of his son Sarpedon to die and he could not do anything about it. In fact he even suggested to try and he was scolded by Hera. The aspect of fate is connecting ALL beings together. Gods like Apollo or Hermes do not have more control over fate and prophecies than Odysseus had (which also shows how the gods could not free Odysseus till the prophecy was fulfilled) Yes judging from Miller's style especially linked to certain male figures, or even female if one looks at Thetis, that was not intentional. Or maybe I am too biased! Hahahaah! XD

Hahaha glad you liked it! XD Of course that is a surface logic. One can go a bit deeper and wonder that maybe just maybe the reason that she got scared was that she had no idea who the person before her was. To make an analogy with Polyphemus, he knew Odysseus would blind him but he had no idea that Odysseus was a human Likewise one could say that Circe had no idea Odysseus son of Laertes would be a human or that she didn't know till that moment that Odysseus held the knife to her throat that this would be that Odysseus. All she could see was someone resisting her incantation for the first time. That would be terrifying on its own The other one person I know to be able to see through her incantation was Medea in Argonautica and technically Medea was a relative of hers.

Seeing a man that appears perfectly normal, drinking her potion right before her eyes and not transform at her wand and her command might have been a shock to her which of course triggers her fearful reaction (if one wants this as more...logical reason as opposed to the fairytale logic hehehe but I am glad you liked that as a possibility)

You are flattering me too much! I am happy to hear. Well my knowledge is certainly not THAT great and I always try my best with the navigation through the sources as well as some of my personal studies and observations! However I am beyond just honored to hear that! It really means a lot to hear that I am useful to you in one way! ^_^ or that my thoughts mean something so much to you

Hello! I just stumbled upon your blog when I joined The Odyssey community! If it isn't too much a bother to ask, what things, reccuring themes and characterizations do you feel are most important and iconic within The Odyssey?

I am asking this mostly because I really do like your rants and opinions, I find myself agreeing to a lot of what you say, which sorta surprises me because of your clear dislike of Epic, whereas I personally adore Epic: The Musical. (I stayed away from it for a while -I was wary of retellings, adaptions and what-not- until I finally got into it like, a month ago and since, I have been listening non-stop)

So, when I came onto your posts, I was immediately drawn towards your Epic based rants and your translations. Point for point, you hit all the parts I disliked about the musical, albeit, my dislike is obviously much milder, since I still love it. I also completely understoond your stance on source material over so-called retellings since I have felt and still do feel the same about other (unrelated to The Odyssey) medias and fandoms.

If you'd like to talk, I love to hear more of your thoughts! Tell me all of what you loved about The Odyssey. Refresh my knowledge and give me your insight! I'm getting back into reading it, since I read it only once before a long time ago. I have always been more of a casual enjoyer, but now I'm really trying to dip my toes in.

(You don't have to say anything about the musical either, I just really liked your rants on it and the corrections you made on the misinformation rampant in the fandom due to preconceived notions... Sorry, I talk a lot-)

Why hello and I am quite honored you discovered me hahahahaha oh my, my once again being known for my runts huh? Hahaha XD I can see why though! I am really honored you decided to ask me such intriguing question! Hahaha how dare you! You know I am a yapper about this book! Hehehe!

I would say one reoccurring theme in the Odyssey that I rarely ever see in adaptations is the theme of seeking of knowledge. I find it so disappointing how it is literally one of the main themes of the Odyssey and yet I rarely ever see it happening. It is literally at the first lyrics of the poem:

πολλῶν δ᾽ ἀνθρώπων ἴδεν ἄστεα καὶ νόον ἔγνω

He saw many cities of men and gained knowledge from them

(Translation by me)

Odysseus was not just experiencing his homecoming. It was a cognitive trip; a trip where he learnt things and he achieved things on his way.

He didn't stop at the cave of Cyclops because he had nothing else to do or no food to go by. It is clearly stated in the Odyssey that the island of the Cyclops was extremely fertile and had many wild goats and other animals they could hunt and feed on. Odysseus entered the cave because he wanted to meet the people that lived there. He ignored the signs that showed the residents were non-human because he wanted to give a chance to whoever lived in that cave to show that they were more than what met the eye.

He met the land of Aeolia next. His stay in that land for one month was share knowledge with Aeolus. He told them his story, they also told him their own experiences, thus Odysseus knows about how Aeolus arranged the marriage of his children and all

He sent scouts to the land of the Laestrigonians and their city, he was though more prudent this time and assured a safe passage even if his comrades didn't follow his prudent stance this is what costed them their lives but one ship.

He shared knowledge with Circe, not only on the part of his trip that he needed to move on but also gained knowledge from her. One example is the mention of a cunning knot he learnt from her which he used later in his adventures. Small details like that.

He gained knowledge from Tiresias not only on how to break his curse but also on what happened the years he was away from his home.

He had no reason to hear the sirens! The sirens is exactly the manifestation of his trip being of cognitive nature. He wanted to hear them. He NEEDED the knowledge they provided! Removing that concept from his trip in any shape or form shows to me someone who does not understand the Odyssey (I know it is harsh to say but I feel like there is one part of the Odyssey that is so iconic like the 12 axes challenge and that is the sirens passage)

Odysseus learns in every part of his trip and uses that knowledge to future adventures. But what I also fail to see is how CONSCIOUS this knowledge-gain is. Of course he learns things accidentally too but most part of it is knowledge he chooses to acquire for himself.

Another theme that I do not see much is theme of fate and destiny. Odysseus is not some idiot who doxxed himself as most people use the overused joke. In fact his trip is so thick of plot that one way or another something would have happened to cause this wandering.

Troy was destined to stand 10 years (from the Iliad),

Odysseus was destined to go home in 20 (hence he needed extra persuasion to go to the war).

Polyphemus was prophesized before that he would have been blinded by a man named Odysseus (he just didn't know who that Odysseus would be)

but we also know that Odysseus was destined to meet Circe (Circe mentions how Hermes had warned her for the prophesized man coming to her isle. She probably was unaware on the identity of the man or how that man would arrive at her doors)

Odysseus was also cursed by Polyphemus that he would either never return or return alone without his companions and find misery at his home

The true line between fate and destiny and human will is very thin in greek mythology. However we also see that Odysseus tries repeatedly to change fate even if it is inevitable (see my analysis here). It is this human part of his that is so relatable! Also the fact that oftentimes in the joke people forget that Odysseus experienced the absolute horror in the cave of Polyphemus for days. Exhaustion and anger took the best of him as well as of course his ego being inflated that he had managed to take down such a powerful opponent. And of course the reoccurring misunderstanding that Odysseus never cared for anyone else but as I have also analyzed there that is simply not true. It is even stated in the Odyssey:

πολλὰ δ᾽ ὅ γ᾽ ἐν πόντῳ πάθεν ἄλγεα ὃν κατὰ θυμόν, ἀρνύμενος ἥν τε ψυχὴν καὶ νόστον ἑταίρων.

He suffered many torments in his heart out at the sea, seeking to win his own life/soul and the return of his companions

(Translation by me)

The whole trip was always about Odysseus wishing to return them all safely home. Which is also part of his tragedy and shows why he went in so many lengths to save them etc.

I am honored that someone that likes this piece of media can still understand and even liking some of these opinions. I understand that for someone that genuinely like it might be a bit annoying or tiring but yeah I guess I love the original way too much! Hahaha! And okay I understand the songs are really catchy so it can be getting into someone's head easily but I am really delighted to hear you say that! And of course to be fair there are many things one can like about the musical for example the talent of the people related to it and their passion

However ironically that was the source of my dislike as well hehe I know it is paradoxical but when I see someone with obvious knowledge of the sources and passion for something, twist the original material to THAT degree...dunno I feel it even harder. I mean of course one does not expect it to be accurate but when I hear that and yet someone claim to adapt material I would expect of course these small details changing here and there for example adding dialogs with Poseidon (that is like a must in every adaptation minus the 1968 version I noticed...like Poseidon never interacted with Odysseus but that is something every adaptation adds!) or extra scenes with Hermes or whatever or even some of the details added. The problem is that the whole plot was twisted beyond repair, basic parts of the plot that made the plot unique and beloved were thrown out the window And BECAUSE I recognize the talent of the people involved AND seeing they had the chance as they did to make not only the Odyssey available to public but also influence more people to see it and they could do it by staying respectful to the material and yet they chose not to which increased as I said my disappointment. I was also very warm when I watched the first two sagas even if they were also inaccurate because they had exactly what I describe. So yes of course I absolutely understand why people would like it. Dang I absolutely do at least on the artistic department but the way as you brilliantly stated not only the plot but also the fandom of it has been at times it really got to me more than many things

So it is really a good change to see more people see this point of view too and I respect the fact that some people like it and yet do try to see the other view too. You are very kind for saying that!

Hahahaha dude you are asking a dangerous question! Hahahaha! I can talk about it forever! Hahaha Honestly what is there to me not to love about the Odyssey? For starters the fact that it is an ancient Greek poem, something linked to my country and my history and being loved in such a great degree and continue to inspire even almost 3000 years later, fills me with so much pride! Makes me inspired to do something similar! Like not caring if I will be a celebrity but someone see my work and admire it even if they do not know who I am...someone that can see this and continue to speak on it for generations to come... Of course many writers do the same as well like classical literature and all but for the specific one I feel so much pride!

The Odyssey arguably has everything! Romance, friendship and companionship, horror and peace, war and bloodshed and also tenderness of a family, drama and comedy, adventure and domestic life even daresay sci-fi details with the Phaeakes island that have literal robotic dogs created by Hephaestus for them. Odysseus is one of the most complicated personas in all literature history and earned that position in the hall of fame. Arguably even ancient Greeks and Romans could not handle the guy with so many different opinions that paint him from hero till villain. The same guy that held back from the battle till the proper moment and then abandoned his last escape to save Diomedes in the Iliad is now sailing to the seas. The same man that took Ismarus and slay the men and took women of it as his property and mentioning it as casually as he could was also crying his eyes out in guilt upon hearing a song about Troy and the way the city fell. The same guy that tenderly held his son and cried like a baby holding him and kissing him was also the same person that slaughtered 108 men in his palace and executed their allies in less than a day. The same guy who reigned the kingdom like a father; who embraced and kissed his slaves like equals, was also undoubtedly a strong leader and king who defended his authority with iron hand and he was ready to even slay his own brother-in-law when he defied him. The same man that held back from volunteering to face Hector in the Iliad and made sure he would be the last to be chosen, in the Odyssey he armed himself ready to face an immortal 6-headed monster all by himself. The man known for his mind and cunning and indirect ways is also known for being one of the greatest warriors known. Arguably even his age being one of the oldest kings in the Iliad and yet as Antilochus said he was also one of the fastest and more agile and one of the best in spear. The most pious and religious people to the gods, favored by one of the greatest goddesses of all, Athena, and loved by Zeus was also one of those who suffered a great deal from his hubris.

This man is the absolute perfection of contradictions in one body and the way he is portrayed by Homer especially in the Odyssey where he is the protagonist is a masterpiece of emotions. Arguably Odysseus is also one of the earliest male rape victims in literature for he was not just attempted to be raped and seduced but he had to literally sell his body once to Circe and then he was being forced by Calypso. A warrior that was absolutely powerless before the gods

The Odyssey is also a great allegory of the spread of Greeks to the Mediterranean sea before the official set of colonies and the way it provides us information on how they moved around. It is also an allegory on the dangers humans faced out in the sea, how they struggled and how the families left behind also struggled with the consequences. How the power of nature can bend someone but also how human with seer will can do incredible things Odysseus survived the impossible not because he had gods as parents or hardly any help from the gods itself with the exception of Leucothea in the last adventure and of course finally Athena to the final stage. Odysseus survived because of his seer will and his need to return home. Odysseus can be any one of us; a person who struggles every day; everything can hold us down and we might have no help or very little help from others but we must keep pushing through. The Odyssey also shows us the importance of companionship and family bonds, loyalty and trust. Odysseus didn't slay the suitors because he was a mary-sue all-powerful person. He had help from three loyal slaves (Euryclea, Eumaeus and Philoetius) and his son Telemachus. He didn't do it alone. He used the help of those who believed in him and quite frankly he faced a much less bad situation at his palace because of his wife's seer will and loyalty to not abandon the throne of Ithaca to anyone till he arrived.

The Odyssey is also about how there are many forms of strength. Penelope was not less strong than Odysseus because she didn't kill anyone with a sword. She was strong for keeping more than 100 men and several parts of the household that were betraying them with her seer will and mind. Telemachus was both a fighter and someone who tried to see the best in people and that saved his life (when he spared Theoklymenos at his return from his trip. Theoklymenos was a man who had committed murder. Telemachus chose to give him a chance and in return he received the prophecy of Theoklymenos that the suitors were planning an ambush) Odysseus also learnt forgiveness in one way when he was ready to start another bloodshed by the end of the Odyssey when the families of the suitors saught revenge but Athena stopped it, making sure both sides stopped the never-ending circle of violence. Nausicaa is an example of loving someone and yet you must respect their wishes and let them go. Telemachus is an example of self-discovery... The very realistic scenario of someone not recognizing the place they left for so long and people not recognizing you back. That you have to work yourself through the very same place you left behind! Even Telemachus as a character not even knowing what to believe anymore about the father he never met, not knowing whom to listen and whom not to etc. like a realistic scenario of absent veteran fathers who disappeared a long time ago...

Honestly...what ISN'T the Odyssey?! It is in my opinion one of the most complete pieces of literature that opens the way in many things! I am really happy you shall decide to look at it more attentively and I hope you shall enjoy it because honestly it's worth it.

(My friend I do not mind at all speaking about it. I am just not a fan so I am just asking the understanding of anyone that I am not gonna be very positive about what I mention and say. However I shall try not to be hater with no reason or logic, that I can promise to try)

[coquelicoq]

good morning can i show you guys the christmas card my little sister wrote me in french (she does not know any french)

joyeux Noël, j'espère que vous comprenez ce que je dis compte tenu de la fiabilité de Google Translate. Jespère qu'à l'avenir nous voir plus de deux fois par an. Je ne sais pas vraiment quoi dire d'autre, alors joyeux Noël et j'espère que papa t'a offert. Profitez également des autres choses que je mets sur la carte au lieu de vous ècrire un essai complet.

and then she wrote me a little crossword and a "connect the language to its way of saying 'merry christmas'" game 😭

[nedstarkfortnite]

Sigh. @jackoshadows , I don't know why you're being so tense and assuming so many things about me in this response. I think you've completely misunderstood me and intentionally misrepresented what I was saying. This is really weird, honestly.

Congratulations on figuring out that Arya doesn't actually hate femininity, but uses rejection as a way of pretending being excluded from it doesn't hurt her. Yes, I am fully aware. I thought we all were. She's 9 and fully "convinced" (at the moment) that "lady" things are silly and boring though, the text (ASOIAF, not my own post, in case you need clarification) mentions her being outwardly dismissive and directly or indirectly calling it stupid/a waste of time. It's really common for children to deflect like this. I'm talking about what she projects to others. You know, the image she projects to everyone around her. Socially in her relationships with others she does look down on femininity in favor of masculine attitudes and behaviors, at least in her early chapters where survival isn't her priority. It's the effect it has on others that I am interested in here. She does project her feelings on feminine aspects of life and makes them out to be a negative thing, that's just a fact. It may be misguided, and it is indeed true that she is projecting her anger on the wrong thing here, but as of this point she hasn't properly begun to reflect on her feelings. Saying that is not an attack on Arya, who is a child and whom I sympathize with, it's just how she behaves outwardly and to some level inwardly.

Like I said, I was exactly like her as a child. Do you think I walked around genuinely hating girls? Because I didn't, I rejected activities I associated with girlhood on purpose to make myself feel better about not conforming, just like Arya. But just like her I would say and do things that implied I did look down on girls and their interests. Behavior still counts for something, even if you are lying to yourself. You can still be gay and be homophobic to others, for example, and be wholly or at least mostly convinced you feel a certain way. Also I intentionally said "chooses to look down on", as a conscious choice whether that reflects her true feelings or not, not "hates" as in "she actually hates this". Your response here builds off an assumption that is disproven if you actually pause to read it.

As for the second part, I again think you're really misunderstanding what I'm talking about. You pick up a point where I'm talking about myself, but also this issue in broad terms. It varies a lot, so I summarized the general conflict that might stem from it. I never said Arya de facto hates traditional femininity (and by extension other girls), where are you getting this from? Are you just reading any mildly, potentially negative phrasing as me dunking on her? Because I'm not, I'm analyzing her behavior as it is written without making any emotional judgments. It's weird how much malice you're injecting into my post, and that you don't ever pause to consider the many different ways I might mean things.

I didn't say she was cringe, I said I sometimes react that way because of how personal her arc can feel at times, fully aware of this reaction being a bit unfair. I think I made it overtly clear that I was talking about seeing a younger self in this character, rather than saying the character is bad. It's not a judgment, it's just a reflection. I can have these reactions without hating or disliking characters, you know? One of my favorites constantly makes me cringe. I like Arya, which you intentionally skipped over? I even said I'd like to have her as a younger cousin or sister.

Please just calm down and take another look at what I actually wrote. I don't know why you're placing so much hostility in what I said, because from what I can tell I never actually said or implied any of it.

Mikey reads ASOIAF: Arya I AGOT

Short summary: Arya runs away from needlework after a conflict with Sansa, finding Jon watching over the sparring match between the Starks and the Lannister boys. 

Arya…She’s been hard for me to place. I was exactly like her at that age. 

On one hand I identify with that struggle of feeling inferior to other girls and therefore choosing to look down on traditionally feminine activities and behaviors in favor of the traditionally masculine. That struggle with self esteem and identity was really hard, and I came out of it finally understanding that it wasn’t femininity or other girls I should be upset with, but rather the way our societies condition us to devalue girls and their interests. This does mean that I internally cringe quite a lot during her chapters. It’s a bit humbling to look back on your younger self and notice things you didn’t notice then. Overall I think I like her, and that I would have liked her as a cousin or sibling in real life, but I’ve also grown out of a lot of this behavior and no longer find it as appealing. 

“It wasn't fair. Sansa had everything. Sansa was two years older, maybe by the time Arya had been born, there had been nothing left. Often it felt that way.” 

Ouch. Yeah, it’s easy to feel with her and I applaud GRRM for understanding girls so well. This is exactly what it feels like to be forced to compete with your peers all the time and finding yourself falling short in a competition built on nonsensical and unfounded expectations. Does he have any daughters? It’s surprisingly well made.

We do also have a confrontation between Joffrey and Robb in the courtyard that seems to set up the later tensions between house Stark and house Lannister. Book Joffrey seems less…dumb to me, if that makes sense? He’s still a coward and all, but less “silly” than Jack Gleeson ended up portraying him as. I do love that Joffrey for being so comically evil and pathetic. This one is a bit more menacing it feels like.

Other than that I don’t have all that much to say. Arya and Jon have a sweet sibling dynamic that is very neatly founded on their shared feelings of exclusion and not belonging. This chapter seems to exist mainly to introduce Arya, which is necessary but also a bit on the slow side.

[thatrandombystander]

Just got back from watching a production of Les Mis and yeah man to love another person really is to see the face of God 😭😭😭

[iridescentoracle]

@eglerieth replied to your post: Hello! I am here to ask about your Dior headcanons…

What’s your Galadriel headcanon?

Oh man, I didn’t see this!! Thank you for asking, i fully did not expect anyone to actually get far enough into the Dior post to see that let alone actually want to know. Sorry I’m two days late!

So! What we know about Galadriel in the Silmarillion:

She hated Fëanor but thought being a queen sounded pretty sweet/desired power

She’s named as one of the leaders of the Noldor across the Helcaraxë

Instead of founding her own kingdom (like she’d explicitly originally wanted) or moving in with her brother she got married and stayed in Doriath and learned a lot from Melian

Eventually Melian was like “hey so you should explain the weird ominous evil metaphysical cloud i can see hanging over the Noldor so i can explain about it to my husband bc he should really learn about whatever happened before it blows up in everybody’s faces” and Galadriel was like “yeah he probably should but i’m not telling”

At some point Galadriel asked Finrod why he wasn’t married yet

One time Melian casually foreshadowed Beren’s existence to Galadriel, who has no recorded response

That’s it. That’s literally all we know about what she was up to. She was super jazzed about the prospect of Ruling A Kingdom and then made friends with a queen and learned a bunch from her and… was still alive after the War of Wrath, and in between we have nothing.

We don’t know how she survived the Second Kinslaying, we can assume she made it to the Havens of Sirion but don’t know how she survived the Third Kinslaying let alone what she did/where she went after that… we don’t know what her reaction was to the death of her only remaining family member in Middle-earth, for which her cousins and the great-uncle in whose kingdom she lived were both partially responsible…

Like, that's weird, right? Galadriel is firmly established as someone bold and interested in being a ruler and stubborn as all get out, and then she… does nothing and everybody seems to forget she exists for several hundred years and some major political upheavals that should have personally affected her? It's not just me? That's really weird?

So, my Galadriel headcanon is that she’s inexplicably absent for most of the Quenta Silmarillion because she was deliberately erased/left out by the scribes writing things down because there was no way to acknowledge her presence in Doriath during and after Beren & Lúthien’s whole everything without getting into the messiest bit of Sindar-Noldor political tension that didn’t involve the Fëanorioni, because (again, headcanon) Galadriel Did Not Respond Well to her uncle getting her brother killed as a side effect of trying to get her cousin’s boyfriend killed and there was A Lot Of Tension for a while there (when you’ve got that kind of interpersonal tension between people who are both essentially Political Figures, i figure it’s probably going to turn into political tension unless they’re both trying very very hard to avoid that and potentially even then)

…and then after Thingol’s death a few years later, I think one of the primary contenders for Next Ruler of Doriath was Galadriel “Well I Came Here For A Kingdom In The First Place” Granddaughter-of-Olwë and also her husband is related to Thingol* and Lúthien’s clearly removed herself from contention so if the Sindar want a monarch who’s actually related to the last one they both qualify, it’s perfect and obviously Galadriel should be the next queen of Doriath (it is not obvious to everyone)

* on a side note, Celeborn is mentioned twice in the Quenta Silm: #1, Galadriel stays in Doriath because she’s marrying a “kinsman of Thingol,” while #2, shortly after Thingol’s death, Celeborn is referred to as a “prince of Doriath.” Not actual evidence, but it sure fits in nicely!

Like I said in the Dior post, I don’t think anything ever came to outright surface-level conflict; a civil war in Doriath is not getting left out of the Silmarillion. Tension between Galadriel and Thingol, though? and then between Galadriel and [various other contenders for the throne after Thingol, potentially including Dior himself when he arrived] that had everyone a little nervous? when she didn’t become queen and did (however begrudgingly) accept that Dior was the closest thing to a consensus pick and did survive the next several thousand years only to finally wind up as functional queen of most of the remaining Sindar despite eschewing the actual title? That I can see getting diplomatically left out of the histories, and explaining why she’s completely during the parts of the story where you’d think she’d be most involved.

[karmaphone]

dude as someone who understands the nuances of enmeshment + the varying degrees of abuse-versus-codependency I'm really more of a Beveryly-Did-Nothing-Wrong-er than the show, which is a Beverly-Is-Equally-At-Fault-er