#azem: aphrodite

[ishgard]

Thoughts been swirling around today about Kira/Aphrodite and her relationship with Lahabrea. (～￣▽￣)～

So I'm gonna slap 'em down to keep track of later or else they'll get lost in the brain sauce. Still a WIP though. (This is also an excuse to use my old OG Lahabrea face from ARR-era. - w -)

Gist is Aphrodite and Hephaestus go way back and were lovers for a time, until their duties as Lahabrea and Azem began to put more distance between them and then... well, Lahabrea met Athena.

I think even before that point they had a somewhat more open relationship, because Aphrodite also had an on-again, off-again, 'it's complicated' relationship with Ares (Zenos), I just haven't figured the exact time frame of it all yet and if any of it 'clashes'.

But regardless, he broke things off with her, much to his later regret, lol. I imagine she had some strong opinions about it/had a bad vibe from Athena, but couldn't say much or else she'd come across as the jealous ex. :''D (And in light of the Igeyorhm was his cousin thing, I chuckle to imagine her scolding him over something similar, too.)

As for how things might have panned out in post-Athena years, I'm less clear on yet. :|a

Fast forward to modern times though, and Kira is the adopted daughter of a Garlean noble (who he ultimately uses to spy, seduce, and get information from others with). She has no idea Emperor Solus is even aware of her existence, really, but he is very much aware of Azem's soul shard moving around close to him.

I'm not sure yet if he purposefully invited Lahabrea because he thought something along the lines of: 'Okay, this guy is burning the candle at both ends, maybe if he meets "Azem" it'll ground him a little' - or if it was less pointed than that. Or if it was just a pure happenstance meeting.

But either way they did meet, and proceeded to have a whirlwind Very Complicated romance (more on that later I think) that will lead to Very Complicated outcomes once she's WoLing it up. ^^;

[emetkoto]

What's up with Aphrodite and Emet-Selch bc somehow I know and understand more about Apollo's batshit time loop than their weird. Idk what to call it. It's not a situationship.

oh its absolutely NOT a situationship but it sure is. a situation. basically aphrodite/dionysus/emet/hyth were childhood friends and aphrodite/emet had that kinda "oh theyre definitely gonna end up together" thing going on where yknow everyone around them kinda expected it to happen eventually bc they happened to be a man and a woman who were good friends and known to not be strictly homosexual and while emet selch definitely had feelings for her and had also fallen into the "we'll surely end up together" trap aphrodite. had ZERO interest in him that way. he was just a good friend to her so once she started traveling with venat and met adonis/unsundered urianger she really didnt think much of emet or everyone elses expectations when they decided to start a relationship....and emet selch. uh. he didnt take it well? to say the least. to him adonis was just some nobody who wasnt even from amaurot like they were and thus not good enough for her like he definitely was so he kinda went off the rails a bit and it started to drive a wedge between them and slowly ruin their friendship (made even worse when hyth and dionysus got together when emet also thought that dionysus was a lame loser nobody freak not good enough for his dear friend hyth) but aphrodite kept him around bc idk. sunk cost fallacy. hope that he would get over it eventually and they could all go back to being friends like they were before. not wanting to deal with the fallout. take your pick theyre all partially correct!

tldr in emeverse hes the kinda guy who believes in the friendzone so when aphrodite, a woman who never showed romantic interest in him, got a boyfriend he lost it

[takethistoyourstardust]

also it's like. so fucked up that venat knew azem had to be sundered for the wol to exist and have a chance at stopping meteion.

[acathea]

'When the light is running low And the shadows start to grow And the places that you know Seem like fantasy There's a light inside your soul That's still shining in the cold With the truth The promise in our hearts Don't forget I'm with you in the dark'

Kiht belongs to @rnangopantsu

[enavant]

i love to think about the notion that everyone just ‘something weird is happening oh it’s just azem’ type things it’s on my mind a lot.

anyway aphrodite tailors her robes especially for battle purposes since she ‘wants to move more freely’ n it’s really funny to me the thought of her in shorter robes making everyone clutch their pearls. she already expresses herself in little ways through like ribbons in her hair or a touch of makeup she just thinks it’s important despite society saying no and will encourage anyone she knows to express their differences instead of hide them.

that’s been a hc from the beginning i’ve talk about before but i was taking pics as aphrodite while levelling whm in ktisis dungeon n just had a lot of feeling about it again lmao i have a million feelings about azem i just think they’re neat and that’s not even touching on my feelings about parallels between my wol and aphrodite in general and expanses through time, setting up the future for their future self to do what they can’t

[afternunh]

☀ the traveller azem ☀

[rosieberry]

azem/aphrodite

[enavant]

      A DELIGHT IN HER DAUGHTER expressing a path in her own footsteps rings through her — arms wrapped lovingly around her in protective embrace as she holds her close && stable. she, however, can already hear the endless grumbling of emet-selch, once again playing villain to her darling daughter — oh, && the amusement it brings her.

      ❝ my, my darling, already becoming such a wonderful adventurer. ah, but you would never let it become bad, i have every faith in you, you know, my triumphant dear. ❞ fingers move, shifting her daughter's weight to her other arm, ruffling her hair gently. ❝ now, tell me your tales && describe this villain to me. was he terrible ? ferocious ? grumpy ? ❞

@enavant said:💗 aphrodite @ her dottir harmonia !!

' i went on an adventure today. ' her soft sing - song voice sounds verily pleased with herself ; clearly a little inspired by her mother's own endeavors. one day, when she's brave enough, she'll insist to follow along on a real one. for now she's clinging to aphrodite, one hand around her shoulder and the other playing mindlessly with her hair. ' i stopped a villain and saved a whole city. it was almost bad ! '

[caerbannogs]

killhare's azem did WHAT? D:

Wait have I never talked about this before??? Omg okay buckle up y’all!

Right before the Sundering, Aphrodite (Killhare’s Azem) got into combat with Emet-Selch at the top of the Convocation building. The two broke through the windows, and Emet-Selch accidentally pushed Aphrodite off the building. She had time to contemplate the burning skies as she fell. Before Aphrodite actually died and returned to the star, Venat completed the Sundering, and Aphrodite, no longer in the right location with the other soon-to-be-Ascians, was caught up in it.

Aphrodite was never meant to be Sundered. Venat thought she could save her like she did Elidibus, Emet-Selch, and Lahabrea, and change the future. She could not.

[picaroroboto]

random rambly crossover thoughts under the cut

I talk a lot about the thematic overlap and coincidental lore similarities between FGO and FFXIV, but what I really really like to think about, and need to write sometime, is interactions between Guda and the WoL, because they are so similar: Guda has this strong yet simple kindness, they're a traveler, they've got a reputation for chaos and wierdness but everyone loves them so much that their defining skill is summoning a bunch of guys, they would be another Shard of Azem's soul except for the fact that they're from a completely different universe. Guda and the WoL have a lot of the same problems on the deeper level - the pressure of being the only one who can save the world in this way, the burden of being loved and idolized and put on a pedestal while also being reduced to just your title and your role. And of course the myriad traumas of a life of high-stakes battle and the struggle to put on a brave face for other despite all of this, because so many people are counting on you and a smile better suits a hero.

Oh, and they're both sort-of psychic, with the WoL's Echo visions and Guda's shared Servant dreams so probably not long after meeting they'd be thrown headlong into each other's worst memories: the WoL watching Guda's toughest battles in Camelot and Babylonia and the Temple of Time, the destruction of Chaldea at the start of Part 2, maybe flashes of Aphrodite's song and the Garden of Lost Will; while Guda picks up on scenes like the Bloody Banquet, Haurchefant's sacrifice, the battle with Ardbert in Soul Surrender - "One life for one world - you of all people should understand!"

(the WoL doesn't tell much of their past because they're enjoying the feeling of being somewhere where nobody knows their name, while Guda doesn't give much specifics of the Lostbelts because it would be hard to reveal to a hero from another world that saving your world involves destroying others)

So the WoL, summoned to Chaldea or some Singularity, does understand what Guda is going through and wants to help, but - Guda's not so different from an Ascian. The WoL knows what it's like to fight to protect your broken world, they've fought against and killed those who would return their world to it's proper course. Maybe they'd be allies for a while, good friends as well, but still oppose Guda at some point - not really a betrayal, maybe more of a trial, or just a sort of inevitability, because just like they can't not help Guda they also can't ignore the fact that Guda has defeated many heroes just like them, just like Ardbert and his party, like any Warriors of Light of the rejoined Reflections.

Leading to super sugoi summoning versus summoning battle, overlapping chants of "My will creates your body, your sword creates my destiny..." "Let expanse contract, eon become instant..."

[finalrespite]

re the ancient names for wols/ocs question: Of course anyones decided Ancient identities are extremely valid and in particular anyone whose Azem is Prometheus are big-brained. I think my choosing of Aphrodite for Eji's is one of my favorite decisions.

Like I said it was heavily influenced by Hades' Aphrodite, who I saw and thought 1. Oh she's hot, and 2. Oh she's very Eji-coded. But I think this description of her is what did it for me the most:

...Because wow that's so profound and poignant to me. The WoL is strong alone - brutally so even, as was Azem no doubt, but what is more defining of their life and career than moving the world with the power of love?

[cidnangarlond]

fortuna's azem is called artemis because her azem was like I don't care about whatever y'all are doing I'm having fun adventuring and doing cool shit. her azem was lukewarm at best towards emet-selch but thought hythlodaeus was kinda fun. eris's azem is named eris actually whole thing with that because she's like yay bloodshed and murder and being unhinged!! ^_^ scarlet's is aphrodite because she fucked a lot. many romances a lot of sex. mihmeira's is harmonia because at her core she is happy and at peace

[emetkoto]

I need to talk about my ancients here more do the Tumblr hoes even know K'otos azem has the gift of prophecy and has been manipulating the timeline since he was born up until the moment emet selch survived the dying gasp specifically to make that happen a la 4d chess with interdimentional time travel. Do they even know about the tragedy of Aphrodite and Dionysus. Harmonia also exists. Barely. I'm working on that one but Apollo and the doomed siblings are so insanely fleshed out these days it's a problem

[takethistoyourstardust]

this will make no sense to anyone but carley and maybe guro.

why the fuck was pete’s outfit tonight just what my azem wears in a college au.

there is an image of aphrodite college au out there i just gotta find it but You see the vision right.

ART BY GUROSINNER. FOUND IT!!!!!

[bloodshowers]

i'm positive i have this written somewhere as a headcanon, but:

i've said long before endwalker came out ( as an attempt to be different from other wol rpers tbh lmao ) that i headcanoned my version of azem looking exactly like cherry, except they would have pink-white hair and glowing eyes, though in the same color as they are with cherry.

so when endwalker confirmed my headcanons in saying that the wol is the spitting image of azem, it made me so happy. and when they showed that the ancients had glowing eyes? i was sooooo pleased. knowing, too, that the ancients' true forms are very animal-like in their traits validated me as well, because before azem had a canon and confirmed personality, i always thought azem was something akin to a trickster who went with the flow but was also a hard-headed revolutionary who didn't listen to the rules, simply because this is how cherry is as a person, and cherry is a shard of azem, albeit the strongest shard of azem in that she retains the most of azem's soul compared to other shards of azem ( re: ardbert ). that being said, before endwalker came out, i also had the headcanon that my azem ( again, in an attempt to stand out from other wol rpers / their renditions of azem ) was also going against the norm in that she displayed her bunny ears + clawed / furred feet and legs / arms, and tail, obviously. basically, my depiction of azem was to be even more rabbit-like than viera are.

because the races of etheirys had to gain inspiration from somewhere, right? and with as close azem was shown to be with venat, venat created viera in azem's image, as well as an entire race of familiars ( the loporrits ) to be mankind's protectors on the moon.

so to have it be confirmed that azem basically did whatever they wanted made me so very happy. azem was a free spirit and something of a rebel in her society. azem's name was aphrodite, because i thought it best fitting for who my azem was. cherry is the bitterest parts of azem, broken and corrupted, but she does have that kindness and inner softness and love for life and an otherworldly smile reflective of who her soul once belonged to. cherry is far more pessimistic and jaded than aphrodite ever was, because cherry has gone through immeasurable trauma, but it also begs the question: did the doom of ancients' civilization and the sundering permanently scar azem's soul as it was shattered and they died? i swear i discussed this somewhere as well, and the answer i went with was yes.

anyways i don't really know where i was going with this other than i'm a prophet of the lord and i called everything about azem. i was also just extremely tired of more human-like appearances of azems. i found it boring and i wanted it to be unique. though they are two completely separate people, i needed cherry to be recognizable as azem as well, because the warrior of light, to me, has always been a fragment of azem that has been reincarnated into the most potent version of their soul without being whole, which is why the warrior of light is the warrior of light. the warrior of light's control of aether, plus the pure and massive amounts of aether they possess, screams it. to be hydaelyn's chosen and having among one of the strongest connections to the mother crystal out of everyone possessed of the echo... the connection to azem was so evident to me.

[enavant]

       ❝ does my age matter, when i am immortal && beautiful ? i should think not. ❞