#asterion magentano

[lloydfrontera]

in a better timeline where theo is actually a character and not just a plot device he and rakiel develop this weird and confusing dynamic where rakiel is still very clearly theo's older brother except for those moments where his inner ahjussi comes out and he parents theo more than his father ever did and he slowly starts taking asterion's place as theo's father figure.

neither of them really notice because 1) lee han was an only child and he's not really that aware of what is or isn't normal sibling behavior and he doesn't really care either he just sees theo craving approval and being lowkey passively suicidal and goes "is anyone gonna take care of that" and then doesn't wait for an answer before doing it himself and 2) because theo has been neglected his entire life and doesn't recognize what rakiel is doing as 'parenting' because, well, asterion never did that with him so his first experience with that kind of care and treatment is from rakiel so he automatically files it as 'hyung behavior'. so none of them actually realize when their dynamic blurs the line between siblings and parent-child.

but asterion does. just... way too late. when he's already lost his chance with not one, but both of his children. when one son is forever out of his reach and the other has filled what should've been his place with someone else. only then does he realize what his neglect and putting his title as emperor above that of father has cost him. when there's nothing he can do about it.

he wanted his sons to grow up without needing him. and they did. they don't need him anymore. and he didn't realize how terrible of a thing that was until it was far too late to fix it.

[lloydfrontera]

poor sir roberto he didn't deserve to get caught in the crossfire like this (T▽T)

[lloydfrontera]

i keep thinking of asterion almost killing himself trying to bring back rakiel for years because he believes this is the only way he can atone for what he did to his child, this is the only way he can finally do his duty as a father and the only thing he can do for the son that he lost. for both of them.

and theo doesn't. really know how he's supposed to feel about it. if he should be glad their father is trying so hard to bring his brother back. if he should be bitter because it's too little too late. if he should try to stop him or not. if he's supposed to want to keep his father alive or to have his brother back more. if he should hold onto what little broken parts of his family there's left or latch onto the almost non-existent hope of having the part he cares the most about once more.

but there is a small part of him that wonders if there's something wrong with him. if there's something he's missing. if there's something about him that just makes him not worth staying for.

and he still doesn't really trust his father, he still hasn't quite forgiven him for everything he made them go through, he doesn't really quite know if he really wants or can be a family with the man when it was his brother that made them even resemble one in the first place but. he doesn't want to be alone either. he doesn't want to be left behind again.

it doesn't really matter though. his father has never listened to him when it comes to his petty little feelings about family. why would he start now.

[lloydfrontera]

people in the comments of ep 4 thinking asterion is actually a softie and just has resting bitch face. lol. lmao even. this man is so far from being a softie hard ass doesn't even begin to cover it. this man raised two sons emotionally fucked up in completely different ways. this man created the family equivalent of a nuclear waste zone. and he didn't even mean to! imagine that! he's so bad at being a parent he managed to destroy his sons' sense of self-worth by complete accident!

he actively works against being a softie do not denigrate his effort like this!!

[lloydfrontera]

it was so funny of bk moon to drop the absolutely heartbreaking revelation that asterion did not in fact immediately give up on rakiel when he was born weak and sickly but that instead he spent a huge amount of time and resources trying to find a cure for him, straight up trying to find a way to create a new heart for him and only giving up when it was clear it was completely impossible. but to do it right in the middle of the penis arc so its eclipsed by the sheer absurdity of the context in which it is revealed. and then we never talk about it again. it was certainly a Choice™

[lloydfrontera]

btw when i call asterion a bad parent it's not like. a complaint. i love that he's like that. i love that he's such a terrible father i love that he completely sucks when it comes to parenting i love that even when he's trying to do better he still fucks up.

i love that the first time we see him he's basically telling rakiel to give up his birthright and die quietly without making a fuss so it won't cause issues to the royal family in the long run. i love that when theo is almost begging him to change his mind so his brother won't be humiliated in front of hundreds of people he basically tells him to stop caring for something stupid like family and feelings. i love that when rakiel does an amazing feat and almost dies doing it the only thing he does is reprimand him and tell him how much of an idiot he was. i love that when theo has a breakdown after he failed at achieving the one thing he was raised for asterion did absolutely nothing and completely left him on his own. i love that even when he's proud and wants to do something for rakiel he completely ignores what rakiel actually wants and makes him prove himself again just for the right of his wishes not being ignored.

i love that he acknowledges how terrible of him it is to care for his child only now that he's doing incredible things and proving himself and tries to be a better father... while still completely ignoring the other child he has.

he just. he sucks so fucking bad. he's not even trying to be malicious he genuinely thinks he's doing the right thing and that it's for the well being of his sons but he's so awful at being a father it just makes things worse.

it's very funny. and also so fucking good. for me <3 not his kids tho they're having a terrible time someone help them pls

[lloydfrontera]

in the au where asterion actually tries to be a better father for both of his sons he would become so overprotective with theo after rakiel's 'death'. he'd be ridiculous about it. there would be minimum fifty soldiers standing guard around him at all times. a couple hundred if he goes out of his palace. traveling to another city? six thousand obviously wasn't enough with rakiel so double that and keep the rest of the army on standby in case of an emergency. he'd probably pay extra reparations to the asrahans just to get a couple of them to act as bodyguards too. it would drive theo crazy after a lifetime of being expected to, relatively speaking, take care of himself plus rakiel teaching him how to actually be his own person and take decisions on his own. being used to asterion's 'swim or sink' approach he wouldn't know what to do with the sudden coddling beyond chafe against it

[lloydfrontera]

imagine if after rakiel's 'death' people started talking about asterion remarrying and having another child. just in case. it's always safer to have two heirs after all. prince theodore is young and healthy but unpredictable situations happen all the time. why, everyone believed prince rakiel would become emperor after all, didn't they.

of course nothing comes out of it, it all remains baseless talk, mere rumors and gossip not to be believed.

and both asterion and theo carefully do not ever talk about the topic because they both know, without a shadow of doubt, that only a few years ago the option would've been at the very least considered. and neither of them is ready to touch the subject of replacement children quite yet.

[lloydfrontera]

building off this and this i am now thinking of the relationship between asterion and theo during the nine year gap when rakiel was gone. the emotional fall out of it. both of them grieving and both of them unable to find any comfort in the only remaining family they have left because their relationship just isn't in a place where that even feels like an option.

and i feel like theo would be more likely to lash out if asterion even tried to reach out to him. in an ironic twist i can see him resenting asterion for attempting to step into what he feels is rakiel's spot, when all asterion is doing is trying to be the father he should've been since the beginning. rakiel filled that space in theo's life by accident and now that he's gone theo doesn't want asterion to intrude in it because that's hyung's. rakiel did for theo what asterion should've done and now that asterion is trying theo doesn't want him to because for him this is something that his brother did. not his father.

plus he also would now that have to deal with the fact that he's back at where he started. he's once again only rakiel's replacement. his brother died like everyone always expected him to and now theo has to step into his place just like he was born and raised to do. but unlike before this is not what theo wants anymore. he doesn't want to be crown prince, he doesn't want the throne, he doesn't want to become emperor, he doesn't even want to make his father proud. he just wants his brother back. he'd trade an empire for his brother.

this would not help his relationship with asterion btw. i think he would already be at the defensive with asterion's attempts to be a better father even before rakiel's 'death' because he'd find it hypocritical of asterion to only begin showing he cares when rakiel starts proving himself. plus the fact that he did nothing when theo had a breakdown and developed a whole ass eating disorder just after he failed to obtain the title of crown prince.

so if asterion tried to be a better parent right when theo becomes crown prince by default?? yeah no theo would not buy it. i don't think he would be intentionally cruel about it because honestly he's a sweetheart but i do think he would barely tolerate asterion's attempts at reaching out and not make any effort to reach back. at least not for a long time.

and there would be very little asterion could do about it. he fucked up. he ruined his relationship with both of his sons and now one is completely out of his reach and the other wants almost nothing to do with him. and he knows he deserves it. he would keep trying because it's the only thing left for him to do but he would be aware that theo would be completely in his right to not accept his apologies or attempts to mend their relationship. he spent decades trying to be an emperor instead of a father so how can he blame his son for thinking of him like that.

maybe after some years theo would soften up and try to build a better relationship with his father, especially after seeing the way asterion never gives up on bringing rakiel back, even when it almost kills him. but they would never quite reach a point where they're fully comfortable with each other, not while rakiel's absence still haunts them both. and after he comes back,,, that's a whole another post lol

[lloydfrontera]

again thinking about asterion doing one of his family dinners but during the nine year gap of rakiel being gone. him trying to connect with the only son he has left but neither of them being able to ignore the void where rakiel should be. both of them silent and quiet because if dinners had been tense and uncomfortable when rakiel was there for both of them to focus on now that he's gone there's nothing to connect them. asterion burned that bridge years ago and theo doesn't trust him enough to reach across the chasm between them now that he wants to fix it.

and specifically i'm thinking about asterion asking for rakiel's preferred dishes to be served. about them sitting on a long table with one too many empty seats and eating food neither of them are really familiar with but are nonetheless nostalgic about.

and theo is at first overwhelmed by even the smell of it, his chest tight and aching by the time the first dish is put on front of him and it feels wrong to eat this when hyung isn't there (but what doesn't feel wrong to do with hyung gone) but he pushes through and takes a bite because the emperor is watching and what kind of crown prince is shaken by a simple dish (the same kind that would give up his title, the throne and an empire just to have his older brother back)

and it's. it's nice. it tastes just the same as when hyung was there. it tastes like uncomfortable dinners made tolerable because he wasn't alone at them. it tastes like whispered comments made under their breath and hastily stifled laughs. it tastes like gentle teasing about poor spice tolerance and over garlicky food.

it's nice. so theo eats more.

and more

and more

and more

his stomach hurts and he knows what's happening, knows he should stop, knows he will be sick if he doesn't but. but it's getting harder to remember hyung's tone when he complained under his breath, to remember the tilt of his voice when he teased him in hushed whispers, the twist on his lips when he wanted to laugh but couldn't. it's getting harder and this makes it easier and it's hard to stop when he doesn't want to.

and then he looks at his father and.

and he's just watching. again. he has to know, theo isn't stupid, he knows asterion must've known what he did what he's doing and even so he's just watching.

why does he only ever watch.

so he stares right into his father's eyes and keeps eating and it's this mix of 'you can't stop me you don't get to say anything you lost that right' and 'say something please just say something i'm right here why aren't you doing anything' where's there's no right option but lots of wrong ones.

and asterion is trying he really is but he spent more time being an emperor than being a father and he doesn't know what to do doesn't how to make this better he just. doesn't want to make it worse.

so he doesn't say anything

and it's not the worst thing he could've done but it's. it's up there.

the dinners stop for a while. and when they restart neither of them mentions when rakiel's favorite dishes aren't served again.

[lloydfrontera]

i get that it's been about twenty years since it happened and that's a long time to get past the grief but the fact we don't even get the names of rakiel and theo's mothers is criminal. two dead moms and not a smidge of angst about it. the ghosts of the people that died to bring them to life should've haunted the children and husband that they left behind. asterion should've had to see the faces of the women he married in the sons he refuses to get close to. but instead we get nothing! what gives!

[lloydfrontera]

it's so silly that every member of the royal family has their own palace. they gotta use carriages to visit each other. rakiel literally has to cross a bridge to get to theo.

do they get shipped off to a different palace the moment they're born. is there an appropriate age for toddlers to move out and live on their own. do they learn to walk in empty hallways with only servants to pick them up when they fall. how long do you think it takes for a child to stop expecting their father to visit them. do they grow up hearing 'your highness' more often than their own name. how easy is it to go days, weeks, months even without seeing each other when they're miles away from one another. do they know more about their nursemaid's family than about their own. how old do you think they are when they realize most parents see their kids every day and not just a couple times a year. that to most kids their father is just 'dad' or 'papa' and not 'your majesty'. do they stop counting the days in between meetings at some point or were they never frequent enough for them to bother doing it anyway.

it's so silly. but i do have to say. what a fantastic way to show how emotionally distant a family is. they literally have to cross a river to talk to one another.

rakiel blames the inherent rivalry between brothers for their lack of a family bond. i wonder if they even ever had the chance to develop it in the first place.

[lloydfrontera]

what if the manhwa... does make asterion Soft Dad™... just like the tged manhwa made lloyd callous and uncaring.... 😰

see i would say "oh no worries! no one would do that! who would change such an important part of a character that impacts the plot so strongly?? that'd be such a silly change!" but like. i've been burned before. i don't trust like that anymore.

but hopefully they don't! hopefully they remain true to the source material and allow asterion to be the Absolute Bitch he is in the novel! i'm hoping against hope!

[lloydfrontera]

DAMN THE EMPEROR PICKED THE WRONG TIME TO TRY TO BE AN OVERPROTECTIVE WORRIED DAD LMAO. THIS IS LIKE IF ARCOS WAS LIKE "hey lloyd u always get in trouble/danger bc u try to build stuff everywhere, why don't u stop that" 😂

it is also so shitty of him it's very funny to me jakshdka

like damn, your son who spent his entire life so sick he could barely get out of bed on a good day has seemingly found a purpose in life besides lying around waiting to die in opening a clinic to heal patients for free, has poured his entire soul into making it work, has literally risked his life in an effort to keep it running, is demonstrably healthier and more driven than he's ever been and is accomplishing pretty amazing feats that always seem to be related to that clinic of his.

y'know what would be a pretty good thing to do as a dad? closing it down and make him focus on his studies as heir. the ones he never could take because, again, everyone was just sort of waiting for him to die so his brother could be named heir to the throne.

like yeah. that would be such a responsible parent thing to do.

it gets sorta funny in a very sad way lmao he's such a bad dad even when he's actually trying to be better lol

and about arcos,,, that man would love if his son could stop running around risking his life actually. he's. so stressed. all the time ajksdhka

arcos is a completely different character from asterion. like two polar opposites in the "proud dad trying his best at parenting a danger prone child" spectrum. but ultimately they both just want their kid to be safe.

the problem with asterion is that he's,,, used to getting his way as emperor lol. he's so authoritative that he just expects people to do as he orders. rakiel gets his attention precisely because he refuses to bend to what he expects him to do, he's interested because his son finally is showing some spine and initiative. but rakiel can't outright defy him either because, again, he's the emperor. so he has to resort to convince him and change his mind whenever asterion wants him to do or not do something that doesn't align with his plans. it's a fine line that he has to walk.

lloyd and arcos don't have to do that lol. lloyd isn't afraid to go against arcos wishes and he mostly doesn't have to either. arcos is way more lenient with lloyd than asterion is with rakiel. once lloyd proves that he's being sincere and not trying to cause problems arcos just trusts him.

he wishes lloyd would run away from danger the moment he sees it, he even goes as far as to think he should scold him to stop getting involved in dangerous situations when he comes back from fighting a hell knight, but he ultimately doesn't.

there's even a scene back in the giant ants arc (that the webcomic skipped grrrr) before lloyd starts the construction where he tells lloyd that he thinks his plan is great but he has one condition, for lloyd to stay outside the mine while it's being constructed because it's dangerous. but lloyd tells him that he can't promise to do that because the best way to prevent accidents and gain his workers' trust is to be right there while the projects is done. but he gives him his word it will be safe and arcos gives in to lloyd's stubbornness.

(he ends up being buried alive in a mountain with hundreds of giant ants but like. it's the thought that counts lol)

so! at their core both asterion and arcos wish their children would stop putting themselves in danger! they're parents that's what they do! they worry and fret and sometimes scold when their kids get into risky situations! but they way they deal with that desire is vastly different.

arcos trusts lloyd judgement, he asks him to be safe and to stop getting into dangerous situations, but at no point does he try to impose his will on lloyd because he knows his son is capable and trustworthy and whatever he does he's surely doing it for a good reason.

asterion is proud of rakiel, but he doesn't really,,, respect him, in a way. he thinks everything he's doing for the clinic is just a hobby of his, something he's doing to pass the time before taking on his duties as crown prince. he likes what rakiel is accomplishing, but he thinks rakiel being a doctor isn't nearly as important as what asterion has planned for him as prince.

he also feels guilty for neglecting his kid in the past, he feels guilty because only when rakiel regained his health and future did he start showing that he cared for him. so he's trying to make up for it now by trying to keep him safe and giving him more responsibilities and the respect that comes with them but in doing so he's trampling over rakiel's actual wishes and will. which is pretty hypocritical of him tbh, something that sir roberto actually calls him out on, it's great perfect scene 10/10

so like. yeah. i have a lot of thoughts on the way arcos and asterion act as parents as you can tell ajshdka

[lloydfrontera]

ah. here he is. the mother fucker himself. so rakiel's silver hair doesn't come from him. but his eye color does. incheresting.

and more important!! theo!! baby love of my life hiiiiii <333!!!

he didn't get the silver hair but! he did get the blue eyes. that's a lot more likely tho, both alicia, javier and charlotte had blue eyes. still, his hair is a lot more wavy than rakiel's but it's difficult to tell where that came from without seeing his mom. god he's so cute tho <3

so. neither asterion nor theo have silver hair which means it's not a particularly strong gene like brown hair, but it can skip generations and still come back like red hair which does line up with what i'd theorized before. now if i could just get a glimpse of rakiel's mom i'd be satisfied!

[lloydfrontera]

tyrannus creating a divine artifact for michael magentano and still recalling his happy smile hundreds of years after his death, being furious when thinking someone dared to tarnish his gift to michael,,, tyrannus meeting asterion and deciding he wanted to spent the rest of asterion's life at his side, even making his wife promise not to blow his human cover with him,,,