#aegis and METIS in the answer?!?! | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

kumeko · 4 years ago

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A/N: For the @changingseasonszine ! I am possibly the only person who loves the p3 “The Answer” and Metis.

Summary: It hurt to remember spring. It hurt to remember at all. Aigis would rather just forget everything than feel this pain. It was a sentiment Metis couldn’t understand.

…

The dorm was quiet. It had been like this for a while now, as everyone drifted away after Makoto’s death, but it felt more muted than normal. In the dining room, the glowing hole in the ground was the only indication of where everyone was, leaving Aigis alone to repair herself.

“Sister.”

Well, not entirely alone. Aigis glanced up. Across the living room, perched gingerly on a couch, Metis watched her curiously. Her fingers toyed with the hem of her skirt, her knees bouncing ever so slightly as she waited, and she looked more like a child than Ken ever had. It was strange, hearing the word sister. Aigis had never thought of her relations with the other models like that. Putting down the screwdriver, she closed her metal gauntlets. “What is it?”

“Sister, what is spring like?” Metis gestured out the window at the world caught in a perpetual March. Outside, small crocuses and tulips bloomed in the few pots that Fuuka and Yukari kept and trees sported small leaf buds.

“Spring is the season after winter, when vegetation starts to appear.” Aigis rattled, pulling out the definitions she’d memorized. “It is before summer and—”

“Not that, sister.” Metis frowned, looking a little put out. It was strange how emotive she was, how she looked like any other human when she spoke.

Aigis had never been that emotive. Not even before Makoto…

Involuntarily, her hands curled into fists. His death still felt too raw, too real, and she thought she’d cut off that part of her.

“I want to know what spring feels like,” Metis clarified, gesturing once more to the flowers. “I haven’t had a chance to experience any of the seasons and we’re trapped in here. How does the sun feel? What does it sound like?”

More and more, she sounded like a child, so eager to learn. She was far more open when they were alone than when any of the others were here. Aigis pressed her fingers into her legs, carefully choosing her words, drawing from the wellspring of her memory. “Spring is warm and beautiful. There are lots of flowers, like cherry blossoms…” Her voice caught, and she remembered Makoto’s head on her lap, remembered his eyes closing shut for the last time.

He had smiled at her then. She did not understand why, what that smile meant. “Spring is sad. Spring is the season of goodbyes.”

“Goodbyes?” Metis cocked her head, not understanding. When Aigis didn’t reply, she wondered aloud, “Is it because the school year is over, and classes change?” She tapped her cheek. “Oh, but then isn’t it the season of hellos too?”

That shook her out of her thoughts. Perplexed, Aigis repeated, “Hellos?”

“Yeah.” Metis smiled broadly, getting up and walking around the table. She grabbed Aigis’s hands, pulling her up. “Even more than just getting a new class, this is when I met you, right? So ‘hello’!”

Aigis stared. She remembered hearing once, about how partings made way to new beginnings, but it was one thing to hear it, another thing to feel it. She glanced at the hands holding hers, at the sunny smile on Metis’s face. At the corner where Makoto’s room would be, untouched.

Hellos and goodbyes. Partings and greetings. She wasn’t sure she was ready for either but she nodded her head anyways. “Hello.” She paused. “Sister.”

Metis’s smile grew even bigger and for that, maybe, she could try.

#persona 3 #the answer #metis #aegis #aigis #p3 #fanfic

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artemis-maia · 4 years ago

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Why I think Hamuko‘s Persona should have been Psyche

I have always thought that it was a waste to also give Hamuko Orpheus since Psyche would have arguably been a better match for her in every regard. In fact there are some story aspects that match Psyche‘s story a lot. I will mention these story parts over the course of the article.

I also think that giving Psyche to Metis was wrong since nothing in her storyline fits Psyche in the slightest.

First of Psyche is a human princess which is emphasized over and over.

In Aigis‘ case her being a robot makes sense since Athena was born fully armored from Zeus’ head and she is the goddess of strategic warfare (which means that it is her job to finds a way to cause the most damage/deaths unlike Ares who just represents normally clashing armies).

Even Labrys makes sense as non human since Ariadne is not 100% human since her father Minos is a son of Zeus and her mother Pasiphaë is a daughter of Helios. Also the name Labrys refers to the labrys axt from Minoan culture from Crete (labrys and labyrinth are also said to be related words).

Metis’ name is fine since it is the name of Athena‘s mother. But her storyline is actually like a retelling of Athena‘s friend Pallas not of Psyche.

Both Athena and Pallas are warriors raised as sisters, Athena accidentally kills Pallas in a sparring match and out of mourning names herself Pallas Athena. This fits Aigis‘ guilt feelings and her taking over the protagonist‘s place in the Answer.

Giving Metis Pallas as a Persona would fit Aigis‘ Athena theme totally (the name Aigis/Aegis named after Athena’s shield, Palladion the wooden statue of Athena, Athena as a Persona herself) and also explains why Metis looks like another warrior robot since Pallas fought like Athena.

Now why I think that Hamuko should have gotten Psyche:

Hamuko‘s entire premise is the butterfly effect thus Psyche‘s butterfly depiction and her connection to the soul would fit a lot.

Psyche is a human princess who secretly feels very lonely since people just worship her as a new Venus however there is no one who actually tries to approach her or marry her.

This reminds me of Hamuko‘s Stepford smile. A lot of Ryoji’s fortune link actually shows you that a lot of her previous behavior was a facade.

Anyway when Venus gets angry that Psyche is worshipped she sends Eros/Cupid to torture Psyche. However he accidentally falls in love with Psyche and defies his mother to make Psyche his. Psyche‘s father after an oracle says that Psyche gets married to a monster let Psyche become the wife of said monster (actually Eros/Cupid).

Psyche thus ends up in a relationship with Cupid similar to Beauty and the Beast. He interacts with her and her only at night.

Seeing Pharos/Ryoji as the stand-in for Cupid would actually be pretty fitting in my opinion since Ryoji not only is not human, in the Fortune s-link you sympathize with him despite him being an antagonist (Maki was a grey character, Jun had a redemption arc however Ryoji despite having no evilness in his heart is unfortunately on the wrong side the entire time).

Eros/Cupid and Thanatos actually do have a lot in common. Both are often depicted with wings sometimes their statues look so similar that they are called Eros-Thanatos since it can‘t be said who it depicts.

Also both Eros/Cupid and Thanatos also are sometimes depicted as children (Pharos can be the stand-in).

In early depictions Eros‘ mother wasn‘t Aphrodite/Venus or even Penia (goddess of poverty), it was Nyx who laid an egg. Sometimes Eros is also said to have emerged shortly after Chaos similar to how Ryoji virtually appears from nothingness.

Also Ryoji‘s brief stint in his s-link can be seen as similar to Eros‘ brief adventure in company of a human.

Eros-Thanatos would also emphasize the teaching of Freud about the Eros and Thanatos urges. I always got a really Freudian and Jungian atmosphere from Ryoji‘s s-link since it is full of tropes and very fairy tale like.

In Thanatos‘ profile his connection to butterflies (soul symbol) which he sometimes holds in his hand is also mentioned. Cupid is also often depicted holding butterflies.

Anyway when the relationship reaches the climax there is this interesting option:

To kill the ‚monster‘.

Psyche is urged by her sisters to get rid of the ‚monster‘ Eros/Cupid.

Hamuko has the option to kill Ryoji when the December 31 decision approaches.

Both decide against it and the antagonist already means too much for them.

Both Cupid/Eros and Ryoji leave right this confrontation.

Psyche then has to fulfill several tasks one of them is to go to Tartarus. Thus Hamuko if she would have had Psyche would have even had a Persona that has a Katabasis/goes to the Underworld story.

The most interesting part though is this:

Psyche after opening the jar she received from Proserpina/Persephone falls into a death like slumber. After this Zeus allows her and Cupid to be united after she drinks ambrosia and is no mere mortal anymore she is now a deity.

This description of death sounds even way more matching to the ending death scene than how Orpheus dies in myth. Orpheus is sometimes depicted as returning as a prophet like figure (Orphic mysteries) however his final death description is not softly falling asleep, it’s violent since Dionysus worshippers tear him apart.

They did ponder which gender the P3 protagonist should have early on or whether they should add an option like in if... which is why they later returned to a FEMC in P3P.

Maybe they did play with the thought of giving Psyche to a FEMC early on and later just gave Psyche to Metis since they didn’t really give any thoughts about what else they could give her.

I would have liked Orpheus for MC, Psyche for FEMC since both Orpheus and Psyche have a Katabasis and that Metis gets the actually fitting Pallas.

Cupid and Psyche is also sometimes dubbed ,forbidden love‘ which matches Ryoji‘s s-link being star-crossed (RomeoxJuliet, TristanxIsolde, PyramusxThisbe, HeroxLeander style). Also the divine date trope and Did you just romance Cthulhu trope Ryoji’s s-link has would match a lot as well.

Another interesting aspect is that I sometimes see discussions regarding the extent of how much Ryoji manipulates Hamuko into a relationship:

Cupid and Psyche is often examined regarding Stockholm Syndrom and also Greco-Roman rape myth stories.

While I see Ryoji unlike Eros/Cupid as innocent since he has amnesia there is a power difference between him and Hamuko due to being different specimen.

It was actually interesting to see how such a power difference story would actually play out in a s-link.

If you wanna see a CupidxPsyche or Beauty and the Beast like movie that does depict a similar power dynamic I can recommend the Russian movie Dragon Love is a scary tale. I watched it on amazon prime and didn‘t expect much at first but it ended up being a good depiction of the trope.

As I have mentioned I like how trope like and fairy tale like Ryoji‘s character turned out.

I even sometimes see Ryoji as a bit of an Aladdin-like character (his Ryoji disguise basically being kinda like Prince Ali from Ababwa).

Even some of the lines in his link remind me of the Aladdin movies XD.

#p3p #hamuko #ryoji mochizuki

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spannycattheogony · 4 years ago

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Orphic Rhapsodic Theogony 5: The Fifth King Zeus

Orphic Rhapsodic Theogony 5: The Fifth King Zeus (c. Late 5th Century BC)

Orphic fragment Derveni Papyrus (c. 420-410 BC): Sky son of Night, he who first was king. From him in turn (came) Kronos who did a great deed to Sky, and next was crafty Zeus. Zeus took from his father the predicted rule and strength in his arms and the illustrious daimon that first sprang forth into the Aither [Phanes]. And Zeus [ . . . came to the cave, where] Night sat, the gods’ immortal nurse, who knowing all oracles, ... . to prophesy from the innermost shrine. She prophesied all that it was permitted him to hear [alternatively: all that it was permitted him to achieve], how he would hold the lovely seat in snowy Olympus. When Zeus had heard his father’s prophecies [after hearing Night’s prophecies] he ingested the reverend one that first sprang forth into the Aither [alternatively: he ingested the penis that first ejaculated the Aither, (Sky)]. Seizing kingly honour, he swallowed Metis too. Of the reverend one, the first-born king [Phanes], [alternatively: Of the penis of the first-born king (Sky)] on him grew all the immortals, blessed gods and goddesses, the rivers, lovely springs and all the rest, all that had then been born; he himself alone became. Zeus was born first, Zeus of the shining bolt was last. Zeus is head, Zeus is center, all things are from Zeus. Zeus the breath of all, Zeus was the fate of all. Zeus the king, Zeus ruler of all, he of the shining bolt. When Zeus first created golden heavenly Aphrodite; with her were born Harmony and Persuasion. And he also designed both Gaia and wide Ouranos above. He contrived the great strength of wide-flowing Okeanos. He put in it the sinews of silver swirling Achelous from which the whole sea ... He creates the equal-limbed moon who shines for many mortals across the endless Earth. But when the mind of aegis-bearing Zeus had all (contrived, … Zeus wished to unite with his mother in love (Rhea-Demeter).) {Reconstruction ideas from The Derveni Papyrus ("Diagoras of Melos, Apopyrgizontes Logoi?"): A New Translation, translated by Richard Janko, published by Classical Philology, 96(1), doi:10.1086/449521, 2001, pp. 21-31. Reconstruction ideas also from Early Greek Myth: Volume 1 by Timothy Gantz, published by John Hopkins University Press, 1996, p. 742. Reconstruction ideas also from Orphic Tradition and The Birth of The Gods by Dwayne A. Meisner, published by Oxford University Press, 2018, pp. 68-75.}.

Orphic fragment 107 Kern: And Zefs, destined to be the fifth king, unerringly calling Nyx towards himself, who gave him oracles: ‘You were born to be the fifth king of the deathless Gods’ {Retrieved from https://www.hellenicgods.org/orphic-fragment-107---otto-kern}.

Orphic fragment 164 Kern: To Night also, who calls on the father, [Jupiter] to engage in the fabrication of the universe, Jupiter is represented by the theologist as saying, “Maia, supreme of all the powers divine, Immortal Night! How with unconquer’d mind must I the source of the immortals fix?” And receives this answer from her. {Retrieved from https://www.hellenicgods.org/orphic-fragment-164---otto-kern}.

Orphic fr. 129 Kern: Zeus swallows his own forefather, Phanes, and takes into his bosom all of his abilities; and he comes to be all things, intellectually, as great as the former (Phanes). And Kronos places the first cause of all creation in the hands of Zeus. {Retrieved from https://www.hellenicgods.org/orphic-fragment-129---otto-kern}.

Orphic fr. 167 Kern: Thus then taking hold of the power of first-born Erikæpaios he carried the form of all things in the hollow of his own belly, He mingled his own limbs with the power and strength of the God, for that reason with him all things within Zeus were made new. {Retrieved from https://www.hellenicgods.org/orphic-fragment-167---otto-kern}.

Orphic fr. 153 Kern: [Zeus’] mother Rheia by whom he begot his daughter Persephone, who he also dishonored {Retrieved from https://www.hellenicgods.org/orphic-fragment-153---otto-kern}.

Orphic fr. 145 Kern: Formerly she was Rheia, but when she came to be the mother of Zeus, she became Demeter. {Retrieved from https://www.hellenicgods.org/orphic-fragment-145---otto-kern}.

Orphic fr. 58 Kern: Of the daughter of Zeus [Persephone], whom he begat of his mother Rhea; … as having two eyes in the natural order, and two in her forehead, and the face of an animal on the back part of her neck, and as having also horns, so that Rhea, frightened at her monster of a child, fled from her, and did not give her the breast … he [Zeus] persecuted his mother Rhea when she refused to wed him, and, she becoming a she-serpent, and he himself being changed into a serpent, bound her with what is called the Herculean knot, and accomplished his purpose, of which fact the rod of Hermes is a symbol; and again, how he violated his daughter Persephone, in this case also assuming the form of a dragon, and became the father of Dionysos. {Retrieved from https://www.hellenicgods.org/orphic-fragment-58---otto-kern}.

Nonnus Dionysiaca 6.155-168: Ah, maiden Persephoneia! You could not find how to escape your mating! No, a dragon was your mate, when Zeus changed his face and came, rolling in many a loving coil through the dark to the corner of the maiden’s chamber, and shaking his hairy chaps: he lulled to sleep as he crept the eyes of those creatures of his own shape who guarded the door. He licked the girl’s form gently with wooing lips. By this marriage with the heavenly dragon, the womb of Persephone swelled with living fruit, and she bore Zagreus the horned baby, who by himself climbed upon the heavenly throne of Zeus and brandished lightning in his little hand, and newly born, lifted and carried the thunderbolts in his tender fingers. {Nonnos, Dionysiaca, Volume 1: Books 1-15, translated by W.H.D. Rouse, published by Harvard University Press, 1940. Retrieved from https://www.theoi.com/Text/NonnusDionysiaca6.html}.

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