#THIS IS ACCURATE ESPECIALLY HIS FATAL FLAW

[etoileee]

please please please tell me what percy is like😛

PERCY JACKSON IN MY DR Ψ

I’m so sorry this took so long! I don’t know why but I genuinely find it so hard to describe literally anything from my dr, like when I’m asked for example what Percy is like, I can’t come up with words that describe him... I just get these abstract thoughts and emotions that I associate with him.

It might be the fact that I'm dyslexic lmao but going on;

I don't consider Percy Jackson intimidating, but he definitely can be 1000%

He isn't shy at all, for example when I first met him we made eye contact, and he DID NOT look away. like I won't lie sometimes when I make eye contact with people I try and see if I can make them look away first just for the fun of it, but no he put my ass in my place that day.

I made a post talking about how people too often forget that he's a New Yorker and borderline juvenile and a lot of you thought it was funny but I am SERIOUS SEND HELP

He's a bit blunt, very honest. if he doesn't like some shit you're doing he'll tell you. I mentioned in my last post that he isn't afraid of confrontation and truly I mean it, I'm the type that tries to avoid it but once the opportunity presents itself he jumps to it, and he WILL fight ur ass, especially if it's someone he cares about that's on the line.

besides that part of him, I also noticed he is very protective. again, especially about people he cares about. he is the type that will defend you if he's with people who are talking badly about you and then tell you what they said about you then never talk to them again.

In my dr him and I just recently met so I haven't really experienced protective Percy, he did end up defending me two times, once during Capture the Flag and once when we were training, and both times I was honestly shocked. like I know his fatal flaw is his loyalty, but I didn't think he would say anything in my defence.

When I told him "You didn't have to do that" he got annoyed. dead ass told me "Why wouldn't I?" alright then... lemme shut up

HE IS SOOO SASSY

He's leading the sassy man apocalypse I've watched him roll his eyes when Dionysus talks or literally when anyone says anything he doesn't like... like okay princess calm down.

It's honestly really funny though I giggle a lil when I notice him getting annoyed.

something else I noticed is that low-key he's good with kids and it's really cute to watch. He's awkward as hell yes but he's good at helping them not doubt themselves.

I watched him help a group of what I think were nine-year-olds with sparring, he was a bit of an awkward teacher yes but after a few encouraging words their little doubtful faces went away, and once they got it right he would be like "See? I told you, you could do it."

Those memes that are like "Percy from his pov" and it's him just thinking he's an average teenage boy and then the "From everyone else's pov" and he's like a god are so accurate he's a little bit mesmerizing ngl.

overall I like Percy, but we're both trying to figure each other out and its so obvious. I wouldn't say we're friends yet, but we might be getting there. slowly but surely 😭

as of right now our relationship is that of two people forced into a group project for school that are slowly getting to know each other

[noperopesaredope]

I recently watched a video talking about what your favorite Mouthwashing ship says about you (spoilers: most of them are bad), and one thing I explained in the comments that I think is important to explain to certain people (in general with a lot of fandoms, tbh) is that a lot of shippers in the fandom understand that these relationships would not be good and are in fact deeply unhealthy, but perhaps that's the point.

Like, most of the Jambone x Curly shippers I've seen don't like the ship because it's cute or good, but because it's narratively interesting and would be extremely compelling to see. I honestly get it even if I'm not super interested in it. Jildo and Curly already have an extremely interesting and unhealthy relationship dynamic. It is heavily implied that JarJar acts very emotionally abusive towards Curly, belittling and manipulating him frequently and likely damaging his confidence and ability to stand up to people. But he is also obsessed with Curly in a very fascinating way.

Meanwhile, Curly has not only been friends with Jimbo for a long time, but has a fatal flaw of being too loyal and passive for his own good. As many have said, Curly is like a golden retriever in both a good and bad way.

Curly is Jackass' victim and enabler at the same time, which is why he is one of my favorite characters in the game. You both feel bad for him but also understand that he really fucked up and a lot of stuff is his fault. His most endearing traits are also some of his worst traits. Again, the golden retriever comparison is very accurate. He is friendly and loyal and believes the best in everyone (and very cute), but that loyalty and belief in everyone are also his fatal flaws.

He enables Jello because he thinks that there is good in him, and like a dog, he sees no wrong with most people no matter what they do (until it's far too late). I can't remember the fic I saw this in, but one good line I saw once was something along the lines of: "You believe in people and see nothing wrong with them no matter what until they abandon you at the park in the middle of the night." Curly sees no wrong in his friend because that's the type of person he is, and while it can be cute, it's also dangerous.

It can also often be detrimental to himself, as we see Juice be cruel to him as well, yet Curly excuses it as just Jizz being Jizz. He doesn't see anything wrong with the way he is treated, making him become desensitized to Jive's behavior and seeing it as not a big deal.

I think Curly's status as both victim and enabler would be interesting under the context of an abusive romantic relationship. There is an even greater power imbalance present, and Jojo may do a lot worse things as a result and be a lot more controlling and manipulative. He could be more physically and verbally abusive, make more threats, and even be sexually abusive (since he is canonically a rapist already, and hates Curly more than he hates Anya, thus he would probably put more aggressive hate into it). The whole relationship would be horrible and disturbing, but also interesting to see.

I love fics exploring their unhealthy friendship, so seeing it as an unhealthy romantic relationship could be even crazier to see.

~~~~~~

There's also the nuances of Anya x Curly. Most people ship it specifically in the context of AUs where Curly actually stands up for Anya and helps her out. Their dynamic as characters could be really cute, especially if he puts in the work to protect her.

I personally find the potential of post-crash Anya x Curly to be interesting as hell. I generally find their non-romantic dynamic post-crash to be interesting enough on its own, but I also think it could be absolutely crazy if they developed romantic feelings because those feelings would develop from some really unhealthy places for the most part.

I see Anya as someone who still holds some resentment towards Curly, but also sees herself in him and feels he doesn't deserve what happened to him. Maybe at one point seeing him go through something similar to what she went through might feel a little cathartic, but anything after that is too much to her. She is also his primary caretaker and a nurse, so she feels responsible for his wellbeing and wants to take care of him. She also seems to read and talk to him a lot, which probably feels nice because she can have some company while also being safe because Curly is not in a position to be able to hurt her. Anya doesn't exactly develop proper feelings for him per say, but she still uses him as a bit of an emotional crutch of sorts and becomes very attached to him because of it.

Meanwhile, Curly feels deeply guilty for not helping Anya and feels she deserves better. He believes she has no reason to care for him, but chooses to anyway, and thus he is extremely grateful towards her, possibly idolizing her to a certain degree. He slowly develops his own weird feelings, seeing himself as unworthy of her kindness and wanting the best for her, while also being dependent on her, even if it's in a more direct way.

They never get together or even realize that they themselves have feelings for each other since those feelings are #messy, but do form a weird codependent relationship of sorts. I've seen some cool fanart of Anya hugging/holding onto post-crash Curly, and it made me think about the potential this whole dynamic has and how unhealthy it could be, both for Anya and Curly. I believe they would not work out or be healthy (though probably better than Jazzy x Curly), but could be interesting narratively.

~~~~~~

Basically, what I'm trying to explain is that a lot of people don't ship certain Mouthwashing ships because they think it's good or want to romanticize it, but because it is narratively compelling and can explore complex dynamics more.

[fistfuloftarenths]

get to know your tav

tagged by @my-favourite-zhent, thank you for enabling me

this is gustava, whose otherwise lovely parents have terrible taste in names. she's a half wood-elf bard and warlock, born and bred in the lower city.

what is your tav's favorite weapon?

her voice and her knowledge. not cutting words/vicious mockery , but she joined the college of lore for a reason. she's a scholar of music and magic, and knows far more than you'd expect if you caught her playing something bawdy in a festhall.

style of combat?

prefers not to fight if she can persuade or deceive her way out of it. if she has to fight, then it's hunger of hadar and an eldritch blast or two to knock over anyone who staggers out alive. never lets them get close to her.

deepest desire?

if you asked her? she would like to travel as far as she can and talk to people and learn their songs. preferably with a pack mule and a bag of holding. and some good boots. and rugan.

but deeper even than that and she's barely aware of it - she wants the elves to know her songs, and to play for them centuries after she's dust.

guilty pleasure?

sitting in a tavern people watching while being a judgemental cow. will claim its practice for cutting words but it's not, not really.

best-kept secret?

the details of the contract with her archfey patron

greatest strength?

her ability to read people and manipulate them, for better or worse. she ended up in de facto charge of the tadpole group because she was good at talking to all of them, and also good at talking to everyone else.

fatal flaw?

has done and will continue to do some appallingly stupid things just to see what will happen. burned herself twice on the stove, just to check. glued herself to the table. stuck her naked hands into a dead man's head to pull out the brain.

did not, however, lick a spider.

favourite spell/cantrip?

speak with animals. mere words cannot explain her joy

bad habit?

cannot always keep mouth shut when she thinks of something clever and or nasty to say. especially when it's accurate. nearly lost a tooth when referring to the flaming fist as the flaming filth to their faces.

hidden talent?

can identify and imitate accents from all over faerun. can even sing with them.

leisure activity?

finding a quiet corner and listening to people and scribbling down things in her commonplace book. alternatively, dressing up and putting on best high class accent and pretending to shop for things she will never be able to afford.

comfort food?

fiddlehead soup, the way her parents made it.

favourite person(s)?

rugan. she's not sure why and he's inconvenient, but he is.

favoured display of affection?

small touches, as if she's reassuring herself that they're there and solid. a kiss to the top of their head. running the back of her fingers down their arm. hooking her foot around theirs under the table.

fondest childhood memory?

curled up in a blanket, listening her mother and father and their friends sit around and talk and sing and play music, tapping her short child's fingers together in time.

anything else you’d like to share?

she hates volo. so much. she booed him at the goblin camp and will forever regret - just a little - not setting off those smokepowder barrells herself. he's a useless prat of a wizard, not a bard at all, but the instant she starts tuning her lute some uncultured chucklefuck will start asking her to play his tunes.

would kick him to death in an alleyway.

[cloudycaffeinatedcryptid]

Who do you think is most and least like their website and in-game descriptions? I feel like we don’t always see everything they describe on screen (which might be due to those script edits we all love thinking about).

Laura's excited to spend a quiet summer in the woods as a camp counselor alongside her boyfriend Max. It's the perfect way to apply her resourceful, curious nature before she returns to her veterinarian studies in the fall. For Laura, everything's falling into place.

Laura is described in-game as Studious. Independent. Determined.

Ever the class clown, Max has trouble applying himself and seeing things through, unlike his girlfriend Laura. Fortunately, his friendly attitude and unfaltering loyalty make them a great match, provided she doesn't get sick of his lack of ambition—which won't cut it if their plan to go to college together has any hope of success.

Max is described in-game as Mr. Witty. Sarcastic. Helpless. Dependent. Friendly.

Abigail is so deeply buried in her sketchbook that she can't see how well her artistic skills and kind disposition are appreciated by her peers. Socially awkward but sweet and sincere, she's dying to find some romance before the summer is out.

Abigail is described in-game as Shy. Artistic. Indecisive.

Kaitlyn embraces the idea of living out loud; always going toward the fun and never afraid to stir the pot a little. Her amiable nature and ingenuity means she can adapt to any social environment, often allowing her to slip into the de facto role of 'leader,' though she sometimes struggles to express her own needs in stressful situations.

Kaitlyn is described in-game as Quick-Witted. Headstrong. Cunning.

Like many teen heartthrobs, soft-spoken Nick strikes that perfect balance between handsome athleticism and nerdy vulnerability. His fatal flaw is an unwillingness to drop his stoic guard and let people in.

Nick is described in-game as Polite. Awkward. Impressionable.

Emma is something of a documentarian, capturing and commenting on nearly everything through her phone's front-facing camera for her loyal followers. As a talented actress and enterprising influencer, she runs the camp's drama activities, teasing out the best (and worst) in everyone she meets.

Emma is described in-game as Confident, Performative, and Self-assured.

Most won't 'get' whatever's coming through his headphones, but Ryan lives for connection, even if he does lean into the whole brooding, handsome loner thing. Beneath the reclusive persona is the heart of a hero, determined to prove himself to those he cares about.

Ryan is described in-game as inquisitive, stoic and charming.

Campers and counselors alike love Dylan's oddball humor and deep musical knowledge, broadcast daily over the camp's PA system… but beneath the affable, edgy persona of his radio voice, a much different person lies in wait, terrified of rejection.

Dylan is described in-game as Sarcastic. Laid-Back. Sociable.

Jacob is accustomed to being the most popular guy around. Despite some self-centeredness and obnoxious bravado befitting your typical jock, Jacob's got a charming streak and genuinely wants his fellow counselors to have a good time, especially Emma.

Jacob is described in-game as Athletic. Arrogant. Funny.

thank you for bringing this to my attention, i'm eating a dictionary in frustration. i have been yelling about this for twenty minutes & i have a lot of Thoughts

okay i'm going to break this down in stages. for starters, Laura's website description is fine, sounds pretty accurate, but i'm not sure about her in-game description. we don't get a chance to see her be "studious" during the game & it doesn't sit right to me that despite her motivation very clearly being driven by Max's situation, her traits don't reflect that. i would propose something like "Loyal. Determined. Clever."

poor Max, he's reduced to helpless and unable to follow through. that feels unfair - he's too busy being a depressed dog in jail. we don't see enough of my beloved for me to make a judgment call on his ambition (also why does he get so many descriptor tags??) but he has so many good traits so i don't think we should capitalize on his bad ones. he should be "Good-Humored. Dependable. Friendly." none of this helpless shit for my precious boy

Abi's all seem pretty accurate but the "indecisive" trait makes me sad :( we don't get to she her MAKE a lot of decisions barring the one to shoot Nick or not. the scene at the bonfire where she can't pick someone to ask truth or dare feels unfair. i wish we'd gotten to see more of her bc i don't even know what to put in place of it

no real complaints with Kaitlyn's, they got her pretty well. altho i would LOVE for insight on what the fuck the last sentence means. we barely get any backstory on Kaitlyn & i want some

Nick is not fucking stoic, i'm sorry. his fatal flaw is being fucking weird & having no social skills. i don't think his trait tags need changed but if they did i recommend throwing "odd" in there somewhere

i don't have a lot of complaints about Emma's, but if they were going to make her website description so heavily focused on her "documentor" status, i think they should have leaned into it more. have her playtime feature more optional photos, using her camera or something - just more on that concept. also i feel like "confident" & "self-assured" are too similar, so i would replace one of them with maybe "probing" or "argumentative". with love, of course

my man Ryan has a pretty good description but i vote to change "stoic" to "antisocial" or something of the sort bc stoic sounds too mean :(

Dylan, my love :(( why are you so sad :(( they all love you. he's so sad & scared. i don't mind his tags but i would adjust it a little. "Witty. Intuitive. Sociable." maybe. i don't know

and Jacob. first of all, athletic isn't a personality trait i don't think. & funny seems kind of lazy. this idiot deserves a little better maybe. we get to see a lot of different parts of him but they don't seem to go anywhere. i'm thinking "Overactive. Eager. Sarcastic." or something along those lines

[kelbunny]

roland glenbrook

how much I like their personality

I latched onto him extremely quickly. I like how reckless he can be, he still has his compassion, gentle side (seen with how he interacts with Cordelia, I love these siblings sm), but on the other hand, his hatred and anger also feels extremely natural. Unfortunately I'm not great at explaining personality details, but suffice to say I like it a lot.

how much I like their design/aesthetics

I honestly really like his design. I love how it has a lot of royal vibes to it (studded doublet(?), the gold woven into his green shirt, and the gold on the bands on his sleeve ~~forgive me I barely know modern fashion terms, let alone medival ones~~) but it also has details of his more reckless personality (such as the messier hair and the unbuttoned doublet and shirt).

And for details that get missed often, I really like the vibes his boots and the little ties on his sleeves gives

I think it speaks to how much I like him and want to draw him as accurately as possible considering he's one of the few characters I've put together extensive collage references for haha

Also masked Roland in general *chefs kiss*

how interesting I think they are

I think he's really interesting. He's a mess of a 20yo who went from being ignored by many to suddenly have thousands of expectations placed apon him in less than a week and breaking under the pressure accordingly.

Back when we still just had the debut demo, he was the character I was the most excited to see the arc of.

how well-written I think they are(if applicable)

I believe I've mentioned it before, but Roland is (imo at least) probably the most interesting and well written character in Tristrat. I like how his fatal flaw (his lack of self worth) is visible so early in the game and how it shapes his different actions.

And speaking of actions, both his fall in utility and redemption in golden feel so natural. Neither feels forced. And I like how even though he changes throughout the story (going from young carefree prince to one saddled by the pain from his family's deaths and the deaths of people in his name) his constant motivation remains the same. He wants to help people. Which makes sense considering he's the one to represent Morality, but he also shows how that ideal can be twisted into something less noble during his own ending.

how much I like their mechanics in-game

I really like how he plays. He definitely gets more glass-cannoney as the game goes on, but at the same time, he becomes a really effective boss killer and finisher with abilities like Four Dragons and Opportune Attack. And he synergizes well with his sister, as Cordelia's over-heal helps to negate his squishyness.

if I think they are a Good Person(tm)

I think he's a good person who makes stupid decisions out of desperation. He genuinely wants to help his people, but his own lack of maturity at times, as well as the fact he was never taught to be king lead to mistakes that make things worse for the people he wants to protect.

I think it speaks to his character that he realizes he was wrong in the non utility endings, and especially in Golden where he's willing to try and put away his hatred of Aesfrost to try for a better future.

[watching-pictures-move]

Movie Review | Invasion U.S.A. (Zito, 1985)

As someone who doesn’t celebrate Christmas and finds a lot Christmas cheer a tad off-putting, you’d think I’d love a movie that depicts as close to a literal War on Christmas as you get in a mainstream motion picture. But having seen this a couple of times, I didn’t like it previously and still don’t like it. I think I have two fundamental problems with this movie.

One, I don’t inherently have a problem with graphic violence or high body counts, but I do struggle when this much of the violence is directed at unarmed civilians. Putting aside moral considerations, on a narrative level, there isn’t much tension when the people the violence is directed toward can’t or don’t fight back and the aggressors’ willingness to kill has already been established. It takes half the movie for the hero to show up and change the direction of the violence. This often gets grouped with Red Dawn in terms of paranoid right wing fantasies about America getting invaded, but putting aside all the attention John Milius devotes to things like characterization, performance, emotional stakes and tactical considerations, he wisely limits the scenes of violence targeted towards unarmed civilians.

Two, Chuck Norris can be charitably described as a Bressonian presence. His lack of charisma by itself is not a problem. Richard Lynch as the villain is also giving an understated performance. That by itself is also not a problem. The problem is that they’re both playing things super low key and nobody else is making up for the charisma gap. The good Chuck Norris movies don’t magically imbue him with a great deal of charisma (although I think he manages to have some in Lone Wolf McQuade and Code of Silence), but they do wisely put him next to charismatic actors. Here the movie largely isolates both the hero and the villain and limit their opportunities to act off the supporting cast, with a few exceptions. Norris chatting with his buddies and Lynch double-crossing the effortlessly sleazy Billy Drago are the only times anybody here has any charisma; the latter is the best scene in the movie. Or more accurately feels dropped in from a much more fun movie I’d rather be watching.

So with those two fatal flaws, I have a hard time getting much enjoyment out of this, especially when it’s paced nowhere near as frantically to work on the unhinged level of something like Death Wish 3. In part the movie is the victim of the relative craft involved; you’ll note the other movie is shoddier but the violence pops a lot more there as a result. I do think the blockiness of the direction occasionally yields interesting results, like the strange ritual of death quality of the scenes where Norris offs a few soldiers in an alley and the final cat-and-mouse showdown. And the nighttime cinematography by Joao Fernandes, which makes the black uniforms of the villains blend into the pitch black darkness and lets them emerge like spectral presences, is better than you’d expect from this kind of movie.

[card-queen]

Character Spotlight: Conoric

Name: Conoric Daine Age: 17 Gender: Male Heritage: Ethelian Height: 163cm -- Build: Athletic, lean, healthy Face: Heart-shaped, sharp, happy Hair: Blond, brittle, messy Eyes: Brown, sharp, keen

GALLERY

Credit to FossilizedSap on ArtFight for this one:

BACKSTORY

Born to lesser nobility, the boy who would become Conoric was left as a popular inn in Walbury as a Winter Child. Born magically gifted and with the uncanny ability to see things beyond what others could see, the boy's talents were feared and mistaken for the early signs of Terrorisation. While attempts were made by his birth family to understand him, he was ultimately seen more of as an omen than a child. During his birth mother's pregnancy, she became gripped with fear for her life and that of her unborn child's and attempted something truly horrific. After surviving his birth mother's attempt to drown him, the family sent the 4-year old was sent away to a distant inn to be raised by another, unable to understand or raise him.

PERSONALITY

Solitary, dour and always wearing a cold mask that repels others away. He carries a heart-deep pain that he has grown accustomed to, feeling that the bitter anguish is as part of him as his skin. Conoric is highly intelligent, very sensitive and with a quiet but very genuine need to help others and feel needed. He has a very low tolerance for social activities and tends to need a lot of time alone to cope. Despite his desires to keep apart from others to protect himself, he longs to be a part of something greater and has a keen eye for noticing small problems that have the potential to grow.

BEHAVIOR

Quiet and watchful, Conoric keeps his distance from everyone he doesn't trust, taking in details from his caution that others might overlook. When around his brother, stepmother or anyone else he may grow to trust, Conoric is almost a different person. He smiles, speaks openly and shows his true nature and caring side. He and his brother work wonders together by pooling their different findings and tempering those findings with their vastly different outlooks.

MOTIVATION

Conoric is someone who feels purposeless, especially without Cas. He clings to Cas, hoping that Cas will never leave him but deep down he knows it will happen someday.

POSITIVE TRAITS

EMPATHETIC Cautious Protective Independent Analytical Curious

NEGATIVE TRAITS

OVERSENSITIVE Cynical Insecure Withdrawn

FATAL FLAW

Cognitive: He has become comfortable with melancholy, walks around in a gloom and subconsciously pushes people away. Behavioral: Seeing criticism where there is none

Negative Coping Mechanisms

Denial or repression Distrusting others

Positive Coping Mechanisms

Volunteering (focusing on others) Expressing his thoughts and feelings via journaling

Uncomfortable Emotions

Powerlessness Pity Longing Bitterness

QUIRKS

Can sense spirits and unseen forces Avoids physical contact with others Adds sugar to a lot of his foods & drinks

HOBBIES

Writing. Reading. Calligraphy.

TALENTS & SKILLS

EXCEPTIONAL MEMORY Having better-than-average recall of facts and experiences EMPATHY Being highly attuned to the emotions and experiences of others STRATEGIC THINKING Accurately viewing and assessing present-day reality in order to plan for and achieve goals.

[julia-drusilla-xii]

What do you think Percy Jackson would be like if he was raised by Emperor Caligula?.

This one’s and interesting question. I feel like Sally would never get along with him so unfortunately, Percy gets adopted bc Caligula decided that he was dangerous yet useful and took out and Sally but he still young and never been to camp in this situation.

I feel like it’s ironic? Caligula did try to fight sea and collect the shells as spoils of war adkdnl (how accurate is this idk, but it’s a story that I hear often). And Percy is the child of Neptune’s greek counterpart.

If Percy were to get adopted, his fatal flaw is loyalty but he also has good morals. Technically, you can argue he can have the Luke arc after the events of PJO and the gods don’t uphold their promise by HoO bc there’s still neglect. If he had a villain origin story, it’s then. I think he’d be like Meg, and turn out to become an excellent fighter. That’s a given considering how the first book he had zero experience and still tried to fight Area 😂

If Caligula gets into his head, tell him that the his father is actually alive and an immortal no less (plus didn’t do some divine intervention and save his mom), I feel like that would also convince Percy to listen. There is no question that he loves his mom. He would be devastated. It could be like an Ethan situation, since I’m under the belief that Ethan joined the titan army out of duty and the want for more justice for his mom and the rest of the minor gods. Percy could believe he’s doing things to help other demigods. I don’t believe Caligula is quite the manipulator as Nero was but I also don’t believe he’d miss an opportunity. Especially during the first prophecy era. I like to think Luke got supplies for the Andromeda and the ship itself from the Triumvirate. And Octavian’s sponsors were also them. A lot of people believed recruiting Percy was the key once they found his heritage. I’m not entirely sure how he could’ve figured it out this fast. Perhaps a time before Sally met Gabe?

Percy could honestly be a terrifying villain who believes he’s in the right if above tactic works, preying on loyalty for his mom and moving on from there. Imagine a demigod who choses to fight a god, erupt a volcano, bend poison, and the most obvious fact - complete control over water turns evil or is associated to them. I’m sorry but the series would end quicker with direction (since camp tends to neglect to tell Percy things till the last second) and effective power (since aside from Luke, I literally don’t think there’s a lot that were willing to take him in a fight. I can’t even remember all the minor fights in HoO). You wouldn’t need to worry about “can you beat this 12 yr old?” if said child started off on your side since Percy was the main reason they couldn’t win.

[excalibutt]

More below the cut, spoilers abound though like on the above post:

Anya Notes/Theories

Polle's dialogue color is the same as Anya's, which implies that the Polle and Anya are irrevocably connected through the fucked-up Jimmy lens. Some people have taken that as Polle representing the baby, which I think is valid (especially centipede-polle) but I think Polle also being representitive of Anya herself in Jimmy's subconscious is also accurate. Because Polle DOES look pregnant, because Polle DOES call Jimmy out for not once thinking of his impact on Anya. Misogyny operates under the distain of, fear of, and entitlement to women's bodies and autonomy all at the same time.

Anya, in reality, is not a perfect manifestation of Pony Express, and is absolutely suffering under the parameters and conditions of Pony Express's business structure. It even says on the safety posters that HR complaints will result in collective punishment. She is doing psych evals that go nowhere, and when Jimmy is sexually harassing her with his answers, he is projecting his relationship to Pony Express onto her. "Sexually attracted to cartoon horses," said to one of the only people he can impose his power over through assault and harassment. I also don't think it is too much of a stretch to imagine he resents her for the nature of the work she does. After all, she's not a real doctor, not a real nurse, and doesn't have to do any *real* work in his eyes.

The only pseudo-HR they have on this long-haul come in the form of Anya (doing psych evals and well-checks, the positivity platitudes on her wall, etc) and Curly, making hard decisions, but also trying to understand his team and keep them afloat under the circumstances. They both, in a way, represent Pony Express, to Jimmy, which is why I think Jimmy's ire is directed to the two of them more than anyone else.

Curly Notes/Theories

I have the theory that Curly offering to keep this incident off the record for Anya is actually trying to help HER more than help JIMMY because she herself says that she doesn't have any savings, and you know that the recently bankrupt Pony Express will be trying to nickel-and-dime everyone's final checks. A complaint like this would only give them more reason, and I promise you they'd find a way to be even more punitive to Anya than anyone else. (Because they are Space Amazon)

The desire to keep higher-ups from finding out about an incident this big when you know their reaction is going to be collective punishment (which lacks of any kind of compassion in any way shape or form for any party involved, thus the most injured will suffer all the more,) prompts intervention, secrecy, and whatever meagre protection Curly is able to offer as their captain.

I think that Curly's fatal flaws as a leader are 1) his determined optimism, and 2) that he cannot turn off his empathy for everyone. As a result, his personal principles are at war with his duties in his job role as Captain. As Swansea put it; every year you get tougher, meaner, and smarter in a worse way. Those are the traits you have to internalize on some level to survive in a capitalist, hierarchal, corporate structure.

I don't think Curly ever had what it took to convince Jimmy to take accountability/responsibility for his actions, even before the crash. That always had to be Jimmy's idea. I also think that it is not outside the realm of possibility that Curly also knew that; and likely envisioned trying to lead Jimmy to that conclusion, slowly, to minimize the impact of Jimmy on the others. I think his blind spot was the degree to which Jimmy disregards others. His personal relationship with Jimmy was positive—so when their conversation about Anya being pregnant happens, and Jimmy implies he's going to do something drastic—I think that this paralyzes Curly. He is forced very quickly to realize that he didn't actually know Jimmy very well at all, and that there is no reaching him.

is the mouthwashing fandom ready for these piping hot fucking takes

some points of clarification:

the horse can both be anya and the baby. I definitely do think it's also the baby. but a horse baby would have a horse mother

I wrote this stuff before seeing the end of the game while knowing plot points of how it ended. I've seen the end of the game now

I could add some stuff about swansea's ending speech about how trying to be a good member of capitalist society was ultimately worse than being an alcoholic but that's a whole other can of worms

@excalibutt has been wanting to portray more of anya's side of things with her role as nurse being akin to HR but that might come later

[specialability]

I finished rereading like the entire last 1/3rd of Jojo Steel Ball Run last night because I couldn't sleep and then I wrote some stream of consciousness rambling about Diego Brando aka Dio aka DinoDio, a real blorbo of mine

I love Dio from the original universe too, but I have a special place in my heart for DinoDio. In the original universe, Dio is still arrogant and vengeful, but he is "changed" by the mask at a pivotal moment. And he actually became something other than human. This Dio didn't. He is still strictly human, with human ambitions. I mean I love DIO, there seriously are no villains doing it better. He is the epitome of the "ore-sama" character. DinoDio is still excruciatingly aware of the fact that he is inferior. No matter how much he wins as a jockey, he is still disposible to people with real power. He is one of those people who have suffered so much from people who have power that all he can think about is taking that power for himself, not eliminating the power altogether. No one cared about him or his mother, so he won't care about anyone. Perhaps there is a universe where Dio becomes an anarchist. If there are infinite possible universes then there must be.

One of the reasons why DinoDio is my blorbo and gets my especial fascination is because of course he turns into a dinosaur. We have established that I like reptiles and I especially like feathered dinosaurs, for many reasons. Dio does not turn into anything that might remotely be called an "accurate" depiction of a dinosaur, but in general you cannot expect realism from Jojo. Also Araki is criminally bad at drawing animals, like sometimes I think it must be on purpose because it's clearly not a lack of skill.

But what really caught me is the "cracking" of his skin right before he changes. I have psoriasis so things like that attract my attention. I wish I could crack all my skin off and emerge as a dinosaur. I mean I absolutely love the early scenes when he's just transforming for the first time and is making weird sounds in his throat and eating rocks and can't see the coffee mug but won't admit it. He's being unquestionably very weird but also refuses to acknowledge it in any way. Like if you think something's wrong with him maybe there's something wrong with you, eh?!

Dio's main quality, his fatal flaw, is his self-conviction. He absolutely 100% believes that he is come out a winner in every situation. And the fact is that he is very intelligent, he now has superhuman physical abilities, and the conviction to reach his goals no matter what. That's really attractive in a person don't you think? His complete lack of self-doubt. Like you can say it's a sign of a very deep-seated self-loathing, but even as he is literally cut in half laying on the train tracks he thinks "I won". That is how he has gotten so far. Every time he has lost, he has turned it into a win somehow. He never loses his pride. It is a sort of delusion, but in the same way that hope is a delusion necessary to life.

He is ruthless towards other humans and is perfectly happy to kill someone or let them die while using them. But even when his horse gets exhausted during the race he chooses to rest it and doesn't choose to pull any tricks like trading it for a new one. He is more likely to use another human being to reach his goals than endanger his horse. He really is still that kid who grew up in a stable. Like, sure, there are rational reasons why he would be careful to take care of his horse in order to win. He lets his little dinosaurs die, but he also praises them when they do well. You can see how he would attract followers. He's kind of like another ore-sama character, Gilgamesh from Fate/Grand Order (not the historical/mythological one). Gilgamesh, especially Caster Gil, is a ruler but if he is going to be a ruler he is going to be the wisest and best ruler on the planet. His people are going to be the most prosperous and happiest. His city is going to be safe and strong. It doesn't matter how much effort it takes from him, this is absolutely essential. Achieving that through something like brainwashing would be cheating and beneath him.

[connachtking-blog]

LITERATURE  QUIZZES.  repost  with  your  muse’s  results  for  the  following  quizzes.

HOMERIC EPITHET! // The great teller of tales : You are Ailill, great teller of tales. The Greek hero Odysseus had many epithets ascribed to him (others included “much-enduring,” “cunning,” and “man of twists and turns”), and this was one of them, so you’re in good company.

FATAL FLAW! // You’re in love with the idea of a person. : You’ve got a crush, but the other person is simply incapable of living up to your expectations. You love the version of them that you’ve created in your mind, and not the person they really are. Yikes. You’re going to Gatsby this up so hard. You’re going to wind up dead in a pool. Two other people will also die. Everyone will be disillusioned with the American Dream. It’s a messy situation all around.

GREEK MYTHOLOGY DEATH! // Wearing a wedding dress that is on fire : You might be wondering why you would do such a foolish thing, and the answer is you're going to get on the bad side of Medea. Why would you ever get on the bad side of Medea? She doesn’t care about anything, least of all you. It all starts when Medea’s dude-lover, Jason, abandons her to be with you. So instead of having anything even resembling a calm, reasonable reaction, Medea responds by giving you a cursed wedding dress that catches fire as soon as you put it on. Some sources say the dress was actually coated in poison. Either way, I think you’ll agree, it’s not good.

LITERARY SETTING! // Juliet's Verona house : You got Juliet’s house in Verona! Not only is Verona one of the most beautiful places in Italy, it’s also the setting of one of the most iconic love stories of all time—perfect for a hopeless romantic like yourself. You can walk the old-fashioned cobblestone streets, eat your weight in deliciously photogenic gelato, and look out from your balcony at night, waiting for your lover to climb up the wooden trellis and profess their undying affection. Just don’t get caught up in any ancient grudges/new mutinies—for your sake, and for the sake of students in English classes for centuries to come.

TAGGED BY: @regalius TAGGING: whoever wants to do it

[absolutebl]

Takara, Amagi, Communication Used to Subvert Seme/Uke plus some stuff about Ask v Guess cultures 

Takara might just have jumped to the top of my list of BL’s best communicators (post in progress).  

Still, I can’t wait, I haffa talk about this sequence now, okay? It’s from Episode 2 of Takara-kun and Amagi-kun (GaGa & Viki). 

Look it’s so important, what was said in these two scenes (capped above) - whether the translation is strictly accurate or not. 

First of all, how Takara expresses his frustration in the expectation that he be able to understand what Amagi is thinking (and wants) but ALSO that he expresses that having to ask about Amagi’s erratic behavior makes him feel unmanly.

ARGH. SO good.

Here’s why: 

I’ve talked about this before with the issues behind seme/uke dynamics and that one of those things inherent to that dynamic is that the seme is expected to read the uke’s mind and understand what he wants. He has to do this so he can make the decision for the uke (especailly with regards to sex) so the uke is not made impure by desire (because the uke is associated with pure virginal innocence). 

This results in the idea that a manly man just “knows what his baby” desires. (And it being romantic to glorify this aspect.) 

Also it is unmanly for the seme to have to talk about feelings, his own confusion (is a feeling) but also his uke’s over emotional reactions to situations = more feelings (gasp). 

This is a huge issue with romance in general - in fiction AND in real life. That women, primarily, expect men, primarily, to understand what they want (in bed or out of it) WITHOUT talking about it.

Honestly if you want to do a thing, or have it done to you, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT IT FIRST.

This fatal flaw in het and seme/uke dynamics, is what leads to some serious issues like romanticizing dub-con (he "just knows” that she “wants it” so he doesn’t have to have consent) which discolors BL and Kdramas, (see frustrations with Mame’s currently airing Love in the Air). Not to mention so many narratives driven by willful miscommunication.

The fact that it’s Japan in a high school BL that’s tackling this issue head on shouldn’t be surprising - but that they did it so openly and so early on in a series we’re led to believe is going to be all about willful miscommunication?

Brilliant.

Takara is defined by his unwillingness to act initially because he is afraid of the depth of his own feelings, acting on them (and what he really desires) but also talking about them and expressing them to the object of his desire. 

It’s kind of magical that he is such a communicator, but that was because he almost lost Amagi through misunderstanding already and his fear of losing his boy is greater than his fear of expressing his feelings and asking about Amagi’s. 

ALSO! 

Conflating manliness with being diminished by having to ask/talk about feelings is touching on the difference between an ask culture and a guess culture. (Most, but not all, western cultures are ask cultures and most, but not all, Asian cultures are guess cultures.) 

The intrinsic social differences between ask/guess also contributes to wide scale misinterpretations of narrative from western audiences especially around familial and friendship involvement and intimacy in each others lives. There’s an essay in there somewhere but I don’t have time or inclination. Still I rec reading up on the difference when you have time, it’s truly fascinating.) 

Finally, since this series is using voice over to peek into BOTH character’s heads we are being shown constantly that “guess” is not going to work. Takara does not understand Amagi (that’s part of why he likes him, I think) so we know he MUST get up the courage (and go against his seme nature to) ask. Also Amagi doesn't understand Takara, so he’s going to have to LEARN to ask. Hopefully that’s his character arc. 

This is exactly the opposite of Love in the Air where we only get VO from the uke’s perspective, and it’s being used as an excuse to exacerbate the damaging idea that a good seme knows what his uke wants, and takes without asking, because that’s just “so hot.” 

(source) 

[xx0yeet-everything0xx]

THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN

I DIDNT REALLY THINK THIS ELABORATION PART THROUGH SO IM JUST GOING WITH IT NOW OK IM SORRY ITS SO LONG

okay so. you know the main suspense in the original was the last two lines!! to save or raze olympus or something idr

the hoo prophecy had SO much potential with that line to storm or fire the world must fall. like. this isn't even olympus anymore this is the WORLD. if the gods were wary with the first prophecy then... imagine this one??

that line wasn't a surprise as it unraveled because piper had already said it. and they all decided it was final, but like. it would've been so cool if they'd gone into the destructive side of it.

ESPECIALLY that scene in the beginning of BoO when jason meets beryl. that is the only time we've seen him come close to snapping, and even then (alas) he reigns it in. maybe if we saw a little of it from someone else's perspective. or when he calls zeus 'unwise.' there could be more tension because they wonder if he's going to turn.

and i've stated this before but just make leo's fatal flaw revenge it works so fucking well. he kills the primordial who ruined his life. he meets the goddess of revenge. seven years later and he still has fresh hate for aunt rosa (understandably). just... yes.

throw in percy too actually. everyone's worried about percy definitely being it-- esp. with tartarus-- until jason loses his shit with beryl (i changed my mind he should go batshit then. give us a character rick please.)

just. piper accurately predicting the prophecy all the way in HoH is so annoying. i want to be in suspense. thats what made pjo exciting! piper should predict something completely different to throw us all off actually. like. storm or fire refers to one of them killing the other IDK.

not to mention i do wish jason was a bit more involved with the ending rather than just a foil to leo (as much as valdez bbg deserves that) because in BoO there is literally a thought he says where "whatever i am, im the blood of olympus." which should be foreshadowing for something because thats the goddamn title of the book & also demigod blood is pretty important here in general (helps gaia raise, right?). but it wasn't. 'storm and fire' at this point give us a valgrace boss fight (leo + festus vs jason) and make them kiss too

i do 100% love that leo finished off gaia because that just makes sense to me but. would've been fun if the plan went wrong. if there wasn't a guarantee. HIGHER STAKES PLEASE. I DONT WANT A SECURE BACKUP PLAN I WANT IT TO BE TERRIFYING AND FULLY CHANCE

also the ending troubles me the most because. where was the twist??? the unexpected ending??? the scene (+ theme[s]) that ties the series together???

off the top of my head uhhh betrayal/broken promises would be a good spin-off on the original pjo series. except the original is about upholding those promises this could be about breaking them.

my case: the gods' promise to percy & annabeth (broken!); i'm pretty sure something between sammy and hazel was left unfinished too; jason's promise by his mom; piper laying fake promises with charmspeak all the time; leo carrying on sammy's promise to help hazel (theres a scene i believe) + his promise to himself to never use fire again which he consistently breaks(that ones a long-shot); frank's a son of mars, mars is all about promises, duty, so that one's interesting because i can't really think of a certain event where he breaks it. im sure we could find something though.

but soo uhh adds new level to an oath to keep with a final breath

fuck that calypso thing btw

so POINT IS let the promise be something between leo and jason (i very much love keeping them as the centre-point of things) maybe, said off-hand and not considered but it comes up in the end. and in the end, maybe that can be a trigger. for idk.

for leo to defeat gaia? for jason to just End the world? idk. my brain hurts now.

does this even make sense. ugh.

@alonetogethermp3 im sorry idek what im going at here myself 😭 i strayed so off-topic LMAO

im not even joking when i say that the biggest flaw in HoO— which, in my opinion, ruined much of its charge— was towards the end with how they handled the prophecy

[moonlightdancer26]

I’m going to be completely honest I don’t think any of the teachers working at Hogwarts were good teachers. Maybe they had good lessons but they didn’t keep those kids safe! They let those kids do fatal things dangerous things! And they most of the time was definitely biased! I think the whole of the staff of Hogwarts needs to go and get replaced that is what should have happened especially that ghost! 

Honestly, I agree, even if you’re including Snape which 1. well.. are you? 👀 2. I understand; sure, he did care about the students’ safety and was as though sent from god when compared to the disaster that is McGonagall, but his treatment of Harry and Neville was inexcusable, and at times plain cruel. We stan Sprout and Grubbly-Plank on this blog.😌

The danger Hogwarts professors place their students in is extremely disturbing (a flaw in the series not talked about enough). Like I get that it’s a Wizarding school that took place in the 90s, but COME ON ROWLING. And yes, they were hella biased; Dumbledore (the headmaster of the school), McGonagall’s (a head of house and deputy head) bias of Gryffindor and Hagrid’s dislike of Slytherins makes me want to drink bleach, and it’s so extreme to the point where any other professor favouring a certain house—especially Slytherin—is automatically justified in my eyes.

I can kinda forgive Hagrid because he 1. had zero teaching experience 2. got expelled at the equivalent of 7th grade (13) 3. was great with magical creatures and was a half-giant, so his concept of risk and danger is not entirely accurate, it’s not like he knew the dangers he was really putting his students in. But McGonagall and Remus have no attenuate factors.

especially that ghost

Are you talking about Professor Binns?

Anyway, thank you for your ask! Have an amazing day! <3

[mayihavethisdanse]

“What is this, the Dark Ages?”

Or, Arthurian themes and allusions in the Brotherhood of Steel mythos as seen in Fallout 4. (But that’s a lot of words.)

Yep. We're doing this. 

First, some obligatory caveats: there is no single Arthurian canon, just 1500 years of assorted fanfic based on the whims of whoever was writing at the time. For this extremely highbrow Tumblr meta, I have ignored most of it and drawn on my favorites. Also Wikipedia.

Also, I am not an expert in Arthurian literature (or Fallout lore, come to that), and I preemptively beg the pardon of anyone who is.

Finally, in no way am I claiming that all these parallels and thematic echoes are deliberate or even significant. In fact, I'd break it down into:

Clearly deliberate allusions, whether in or out of universe;

Probably coincidence, but could be someone deliberately capitalizing on a coincidental similarity;

Almost certainly coincidence, but fun to speculate about; annnnd

Blatant Monty Python references. (Because of course there are.)

I'll start with the big one.

Arthur Maxson, boy king and unifier

(source)

So across all the retellings and variations of King Arthur’s life story, there are a few consistent elements, particularly in his early life and rise to power. Some of these threads are echoed in the Fallout universe, specifically (and unsurprisingly) in the person of Arthur Maxson.

Both the legendary King Arthur and Arthur Maxson were born with a claim to power lying in their ancestry, both were fostered away from their families, and both proved themselves in combat at a young age. 

King Arthur united the warring kingdoms of Britain into a single entity, making them stronger against outsiders and receiving general admiration and acclaim. Arthur Maxson united the divided factions of the BoS after the events of Fallout 3 and is held in similarly high regard by his men.

The name Prydwen is a reference to the ship of the original King Arthur. Presumably, Arthur Maxson (or someone in the BoS who anticipated his promotion) christened the airship in a deliberate homage to the Arthurian myth.

King Arthur is associated with his legendary sword. I think it’s notable that Maxson’s legend is associated with a bladed weapon, too. ("He killed a DEATHCLAW with a COMBAT KNIFE!”)

Probably coincidence, but fun: the historical emperor Magnus Maximus, who pops up a lot in early Arthurian legend, was known in Welsh as... Macsen. (⌐■_■)

Round Table, but make it dieselpunk

(Continued under the cut.)

Moving away from obvious allusions and into some looser parallels:

Like the Round Table, the Brotherhood is an exclusive knightly order with its leader being the one able to open it up to his chosen few.

Like the Round Table, the BoS sees itself as defending human civilization against forces of chaos. (I’ll touch on their tech-hoarding tendencies when I get to the Grail stuff.) This idea of civilization in the face of chaos goes back to the BoS’s founding, even though the level of isolationism we see in most of the Fallout franchise is not exactly what founder Roger Maxson had in mind: “Notably, Maxson's ultimate intention was to establish the Brotherhood as an organization that works closely with people outside of the Brotherhood, as guardians of civilizations, not its gatekeepers.” (source) In a lot of ways, Arthur Maxson represents a return to his ancestor’s original ideals.

Renegade knights? Internal politics? Traitors within? We gotchu.

In both the medieval legends and in all chapters of the BoS we’ve seen, there’s a big focus on bloodlines (ew). Ironically, it’s probably Arthur Maxson’s unquestionable ancestry that allows him to be more progressive than either of his East Coast predecessors when it comes to boosting Brotherhood numbers by recruitment (even though you can still see a clear division between “born Brotherhood” and recruited soldiers, but that’s a topic for another day). Maxson sees himself as an Elder who "cares for the people"—however misguided and patronizing that attitude might be—and whatever else you might say about the guy, you can't say he doesn't believe he has a duty. Which brings us to…

Know Your Enemy: Danse as Gawain

Before I start this section, an acknowledgement of authorial bias:

Gawain, as portrayed in the Middle English poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, is my very favorite of King Arthur’s knights. (Other stories aren't always as flattering, but like I said at the outset: I'm sticking to the ones I like.)

That poem is my very favorite piece of medieval Arthurian literature. In this section, I'll refer to the modern English translation by Simon Armitage.

...that’s it, I have no other biases to disclose. 

What? 👀

(Art: Clive Hicks-Jenkins)

All right. So in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, you’ve got this himbo loyal knight of Arthur’s who finds himself caught up in... you know what, let me just paste in the Wikipedia summary. (The Toast, RIP, also did a pretty entertaining and more-or-less accurate recap.)

It describes how Sir Gawain, a knight of King Arthur's Round Table, accepts a challenge from a mysterious "Green Knight" who dares any knight to strike him with his axe if he will take a return blow in a year and a day. Gawain accepts and beheads him with his blow, at which the Green Knight stands up, picks up his head and reminds Gawain of the appointed time. In his struggles to keep his bargain, Gawain demonstrates chivalry and loyalty until his honour is called into question by a test involving the lord and the lady of the castle where he is a guest.

Don’t worry too much about the plot details, though; for this post, I’m more interested in the thematic parallels. The Green Knight story is full of contrasts: order vs. chaos, civilization vs. wilderness, mortal man vs. Other... but let’s start with Gawain himself. 

Some stuff to know about Gawain:

He was "as good as the purest gold, devoid of vices but virtuous and loyal". Gawain took his principles more seriously even than the rest of Arthur’s knights, not out of pride but out of humility: "I would rather drop dead than default from duty," he says. 

He’s faithful and honorable and never even tempted to betray an oath, even when offered every variety of seduction and riches, except for a single moment of weakness in a desperate desire not to be executed for random shit by powerful forces for reasons he doesn't understand.  

Even though he doesn’t really understand why he needs to die, he sticks to his oath. Gawain's one weakness is a moment of desperate, private, human desire for survival. He'll submit to the headsman’s axe if he has to, but he'd still rather live. 

Above all, Gawain is the ideal of a human man: he might be the bravest and loyal man there is, but he’s still fundamentally human.

You can probably see where I'm going with this.

A few more fun facts about Gawain that resonate with Paladin Danse’s story:

He’s got a bunch of really shitty brothers. (No comment.)

Gawain (SPOILERS!) doesn't actually end up beheaded, but he does willingly kneel for his execution and gets a cut on the throat as a reminder of his sin. And, uh, Danse can also get his throat cut! It doesn’t end as nicely but it’s, you know, a thing that can happen.

Gawain might be a really good guy, and he tries really hard to be one, but in the end he’s nothing more than that: there’s nothing supernatural about him, he has no special powers beyond his own principles and devotion. He’s just a dude doing his Best. 

Wait, why not Danselot?

Oh, that guy? Here’s the thing.

Lancelot personifies the continental ideals of courtly love that became popular in the High Middle Ages. Central to his story is the prioritization of personal relationships and romantic feelings in a way that you don’t really see in Gawain's, at least in the Green Knight tale. (Later stories hook Gawain up with an extremely delightful lady, but even that is a different flavor of romance than Lancelot's and has more to do with Gawain honoring his word and his egalitarian treatment of women (hell yeah). In the poem, Gawain is impressed by Bertilak's wife but resists her temptation; in fact, the biggest risk is not that he'll yield to her advances but that he'll be discourteous to her, i.e., violate his principles and cause dishonor to his king and his host.)

Lancelot is driven by passions over principles in a way that Gawain never really is (at least in the stories I’m talking about; later writers have committed character assassination to various degrees). Yes, you could argue that both Gawain and Lancelot betray their oaths, but Lancelot’s betrayal is never, um, blind. He knows what he’s doing and makes a deliberate choice to prioritize his love for the queen over his love for the king. It doesn’t make him a bad guy—he too is an ideal knight with one fatal flaw—but his character isn’t as comparable to Paladin Danse. 

Yeah, Gawain is (in most stories) a prince and a kinsman of Arthur’s, but he’s ultimately a native boy who doesn’t break the mold of a Knight of the Round Table. Likewise, Danse is portrayed as competent and valuable to the BoS, but not exceptional or breaking the mold of what a BoS soldier should be: he simply represents the ideal. Meanwhile, Lancelot is a foreign prince who was marked from childhood as special and fancy, and his storyline goes alllll over the place. (Much like this post.)

For example, Lancelot goes to absolutely absurd extremes to prove his devotion for no other reason than to prove it. (“I’ll do any useless humiliating thing you want. I’ll betray every oath except the one I made to you. That’s what love is!”) Gawain would never. Danse would never.

Ultimately, Gawain's tests are of his character and not of his love. And like Gawain, Danse’s devotion is to service and his principles, not to another person—even Arthur Maxson.

All that said, there are some similarities: both are beloved by Arthur, both are held up as the ideal of what a knight should be. And even if their fatal flaws are different, both make the point that no matter how good and brave and loyal they might be, no human being can be perfect. 

(Except Galahad. Who is, as a result, very boring.) 

I’ll conclude this section with a quote from someone else’s take on the Greek Knight poem:

I like Gawain. He’s not perfect, but he’s trying his best which is all any of us can do. He’s not like the other knights in the Arthurian legends who occasionally ‘accidentally’ kill women on their little adventures and then feel hard done by when they have to deal with the consequences of that. Gawain holds himself to a high standard – higher, it seems, than Arthur and his knights hold him to considering how hard they laugh when Gawain tells them how bad he feels about the whole thing.

I think Gawain is very relatable in this story. We all want to be better than we actually are.

And that, more than anything else, is Danse.

The Grail myth

What’s that? Lost relics of power? Better send some large armed men after ‘em!

The parallels to the BoS’s tech-hoarding ways are obvious enough that the games themselves lampshade them (albeit by way of Monty Python). But it also ties into the larger themes of “purity” versus “corruption” and the BoS’s self-image as a bastion between civilization and chaos. (See Maxson's line in response to the Sole Survivor’s quip about the Dark Ages: “Judging from the state of the world, it wouldn't be a stretch to say we're living in that era again.”)

But the ultimate futility of the Grail mission is also worthy of note. The BoS might want the power of prewar tech on their side, but they’re no more to be trusted with it than any other group of human beings. No matter how they try, the “corruption” of humanity can’t be overcome as long as they’re striving to harness power for their own ends. You can only achieve power by surrendering control of it.

The death of Arthur

The nature of gameplay being what it is, it's not guaranteed that the Arthur figure will be fatally betrayed, bringing Camelot down with him—but it's not unlikely, either.

Awkward.

Some final spitballing:

Outside the Brotherhood, there are some fun parallels of the Arthur myth with the rest of Fallout 4. Betrayal by one’s own son, for example.

The key difference between the BoS and the legendary Round Table: King Arthur’s knights, for all their flaws and human weaknesses, are usually presented as unambiguous Good Guys. The BoS is... a little more ambiguous...

...but damn if they don’t think they're the good guys. 

A-ad victoriam, fellas!