#glaucus meanwhile

[spitefulcrepechan]

[Click for better quality]

I'll give yall some lil concept art and then tmrw i may spam a bunch of non-au kinito art ive been doing for the past like 4 monthes while I try n' work on more RSoD AU shit

[litcityblues]

I'll Never Forgive Netflix For This

They canceled Kaos after one season.

Now, to be fair, we had been evaluating the number of streaming services we paid for and were planning on canceling Netflix already, so I can't honestly tell you, dear reader, that our decision to cancel Netflix was solely based on the fact that they canceled Kaos after one season, but it sure as shit didn't convince me to stay.

I get that people have feelings about Joss Whedon these days, but not since Fox canceled Firefly have I been this outraged at a decision to cancel a show. I don't know- as it seems like streaming services cancel shows left and right these days, but man when Hollywood is struggling and the firehouse of streaming content is delivering way more quantity than quality, I don't get how you dump a show this damn good!

It doesn't help that I am a mythology nerd. I devoured old Penguin classics on 'Heroes and Legends of Greek Mythology', and I read The Illiad and The Odyssey (multiple versions, but the Emily Wilson translation of The Odyssey is gorgeous-- her translation of The Illiad is on my shelf now) at an absurdly young age. This shit is my jam. I love this. If you are making a movie or a television show about mythology, I'm going to judge the fuck out of it.

(Parenthetical Time: Disney's Hercules is an abomination and I loathe it. Hades was never the bad guy. Troy with Brad Pitt was god-awful, but Troy: Fall of A City on Netflix was an incredibly good adaptation of The Illiad. I know everyone just loves Hercules The Legendary Journeys and Kevin Sorbo these days, but that show also did a really great job with the mythology of it all. Also, shout out to Madeline Miller for The Song of Achilles and Circe, both incredible, amazing books.)

All of that being said: Kaos was the best modern adaptation of Greek mythology that I have ever seen and unforgivably, they ended this show on one hell of a cliffhanger.

The story opens with Zeus (Jeff Goldblum in a bit of serendipitously perfect casting) ruling over a modern Greek world, where mortals are expected to pay frequent homage to him. An Olympia Day monument is vandalized in Krete and he becomes convinced that people are not paying him sufficient respect. He notices a small wrinkle and suspects that's aging (something that shouldn't happen to an immortal) and worries that it represents a line from a prophecy he was given by the Fates.

Dionysus (Nabhaan Rizwan) visits, hoping for more divine responsibilities, and when Zeus rebuffs him and Hera (Janet McTeer) sneers at him, he leaves, but not before stealing Zeus' watch. Zeus goes so far as to summon Prometheus (Stephen Dillane) to seek assurance that his prophecy will not come to pass.

Meanwhile, the mortal Eurydice (Aurora Perrineau) meets Cassandra (Billie Piper) who tells her that today is the day she will leave her husband Orpheus (Killian Scott) because she has fallen out of love with him. She goes to visit her mother, a Tacita Priestess of Hera's (Michelle Greenidge) who reminds her of her prophecy. It's the same as Zeus', which shouldn't be possible, but on her way home, she's hit by a semi and killed. A heartbroken Orpheus tries to commit suicide to follow her to the underworld, but Dionysus tells him there's a way for the two of them to be reunited again.

And from there, this show takes off! We find out about Ari and King Minos, and what happened to her brother Glaucus. The Trojans are here too-- refugees from the fall of their city. Riddy thinks she can pass through The Frame in the underworld, only to find that she can't, because Orpheus stole her coin and she's got to work 200 years before she can pass through and be Renewed. She meets Caeneus who, as it turns out, has the same prophecy as her and Zeus, and little by little, we find out that Prometheus has waited patiently for a chance to take down Zeus and he's not the only one then just when we're setting up for one hell of a cliff hanger with Zeus bleeding, the Meander fountain, the source of the Gods' immortality stops flowing and Hera leaves for an unknown destination, telling one of her children to 'gather the troops' and Ari strikes a deal with the Trojans against the Gods themselves.

And then, Netflix canceled the show.

I cannot tell you how awesome this show turned out to be. Joe McGann shows up as a one-eyed bartender named Polyphemus-- the name of his bar? The Cave. Suzy Eddie Izzard shows up as one of the Fates, Lachesis. Debi Mazar is an excellent Medusa. David Thewlis is Hardes, Cliff Curtis is Poseidon this cast is awesome! From Jeff Goldblum on down it's all just so goddamn amazing. The storylines, adapted from the original myths are updated so intelligently for a modern setting. But it's really the bickering, back-biting, scheming Deities themselves that this show absolutely nails. Hera is mean. Zeus is a tyrant. It's just all so perfect!

Overall: This show deserves at least one more season to finish the story and the internet was rightfully outraged that it was cancelled. As am I. My Grade: **** out of ****

[calabria-mediterranea]

The Greek myth of Scylla and its connection with Southern Italy's Calabria

In Greek mythology, Scylla is a legendary, man-eating monster who lives on one side of a narrow channel of water, opposite her counterpart, the sea-swallowing monster Charybdis. The two sides of the strait are within an arrow's range of each other—so close that sailors attempting to avoid the whirlpools of Charybdis would pass dangerously close to Scylla and vice versa.

The idiom "between Scylla and Charybdis" has come to mean being forced to choose between two similarly undesirable or risky outcomes".

Scylla is first attested in Homer's Odyssey, where Odysseus and his crew encounter her and Charybdis on their travels. Later myth provides an origin story as a beautiful nymph who gets turned into a monster.

Book Three of Virgil's Aeneid associates the strait where Scylla dwells with the Strait of Messina between Calabria, a region of Southern Italy, and the island of Sicily. The coastal town of Scilla in Calabria takes its name from the mythological figure of Scylla and it is said to be the home of the nymph.

According to Ovid's Metamorphoses, the fisherman-turned-sea god Glaucus falls in love with the beautiful Scylla, but she is repulsed by his piscine form and flees to a promontory where he cannot follow. When Glaucus goes to Circe to request a love potion that will win Scylla's affections, the enchantress herself becomes enamored with him. Meeting with no success, Circe becomes hatefully jealous of her rival and therefore prepares a vial of poison and pours it into the sea pool where Scylla regularly bathed, transforming her into a thing of terror even to herself.

Scylla became a sea monster, a woman from the waist up. From the bottom down, she had twelve feet and six heads on long snaky necks, each head having a triple row of sharklike teeth, while her loins were girdled by the heads of baying dogs. From her lair in a cave she devoured whatever ventured within reach, including six of Odysseus’s companions.

Meanwhile, Charybdis was a different kind of monster. She was the daughter of the god Poseidon and the goddess Gaia, and lived on a rock near Messina, off the coast of Sicily.

According to many versions of the myth, Heracles passed the rock where Charybdis lived. Heracles had with him the cattle he'd stolen from Geryon (as part of the twelve labours Heracles had to complete). Charybdis stole some of them and wolfed them down. Zeus punished her for this act of theft by smiting her with a thunderbolt; Charybdis fell into the sea and became a monster. She drank in the surrounding sea water and anything found floating in it, which occasionally included passing ships.

Ships had to navigate between these two dangerous forces when travelling through this part of the Mediterranean sea, and thus the common phrase 'to be between Scylla and Charybdis' or 'steering between Scylla and Charybdis' was born, meaning to navigate between two equally destructive courses of action, or, to use another idiom, to be 'between a rock and a hard place'.

Scylla was the ancients' rational explanation for a notorious rock shoal located on the Calabrian side of the Strait of Messina: the sharp rocks become the dogs' teeth that could snag passing sailors and boats. Meanwhile, Charybdis was their way of explaining the strong sea currents found off the coast of Sicily (which are, in reality, nowhere near as powerful as the whirlpool of myth). Scylla and Charybdis were close enough to each other to present a real threat to passing ships, and it was impossible to avoid them both.

Follow us on Instagram, @calabria_mediterranea

[a-very-sparkly-nerd]

tell me your thoughts about the lore of Circe vs Calypso 

EPIC-wise? Circe really helps the crew out (after transforming them to pigs but whatever haha), while Calypso holds Odysseus captive and repeatedly tries to sexually assault him.

If we're talking more canon to the Odyssey, though, Odysseus slept with both women. Depending on the source, Circe seduced him or he wanted to sleep with her, but there's no ambiguity; they slept together. But with Calypso, there seems to be a unanimous agreement that whatever was between them was nonconsensual on Odysseus's behalf.

They're pretty similar in that they're both exiled immortal daughters of titans- Circe's father is Helios, Calypso's is Atlas, so they both have fathers crucial to the everyday function of the world (literally). Circe was exiled to a magic island (Aeaea) because she fell in love with the god Glaucus, who preferred Scylla to her, resulting in Circe using magic to transform her into the six-headed hydra. Meanwhile, Calypso was exiled to Ogygia for taking her father Atlas's side in the war between the titans and the Olympians.

Overall, I see their differences and their similarities and think they're interesting. Circe's first reaction is defense because all men who come to her island have ever done is hurt her and her nymphs, so she strikes first. She may have had actual feelings for Odysseus; who knows? In the Odyssey, they did have a son together, and she later took in Penelope and Telemachus after his passing. But the bottom line is, in my opinion, their affair was consensual.

Meanwhile, Calypso is lonely; no one ever seeks out her island, they just seem to happen upon it. She's lonely, and it is an EXPLANATION for her falling head over heels for anyone who finds Ogygia, but it is not an EXCUSE for sexually assaulting Odysseus and any other person, PERIOD.

But, then again, we seem to have lots more info on Circe; we haven't gotten the depth-lore from Jorge in EPIC yet, that'll come later in (spoiler alert) Not Sorry For Loving You. We saw a lot of backstory from him with Circe, but also by, for example, Madeline Miller in her book Circe. Calypso's story is much more unexplored.

But at the end of the day, they're both victims despite also being perpetrators: Wrongfully cast out for petty things done in their youth or out of necessity, just more women who are easy victims taken advantage of by more powerful deities to hash out their drama.

[secret-engima]

alyss-spazz-penedo

If. If she's Iggy's MOM, does that mean him and Prompto are raised as siblings/cousins? Megara brings Iggy along when she has to Braincell "Uncle Verstael" bc she's not leaving a baby alone at home and unfortunately Science(TM) waits for nothing, least of all common sense. On Prompto's side, Glaucus was NOT prepared when Besithia whipped up a baby for him and has only a passing idea how to parent, so those first few months especially were full of panicked back-and-forth

alyss-spazz-penedo

with the only baby-worthy member or his Retinue, and chibi!Ignis was a great help in babysitting lil Prompto. Later, when Prompto comes to visit Science Dad, he and Ignis also get to hang out and stuff.

alyss-spazz-penedo

....wait, if she's the mom, who's the DAD? Bc for Ignis to take his mother's name, presumably the father isn't in the picture or they never got married. Or is also... named... Scientia? (If the dad is LITERALLY ANY MEMBER OF GLAUCUS' RETINUE, I might die of laughter. Or secondhand embarrassment.)

Me: .... well considering I really like the idea of her being Iggy’s mom let’s roll with this hypothesis. XDD.

... Yes, yes they WOULD. Actually Megara does not have bby Iggy when she is unceremoniously recruited, since Iggy is only two years older than Noct and she’s recruited at some point before Regis’s canonical road trip. But she DOES have bby Iggy eventually and two year old Iggy is thrilled to watch over tiny bby Prompto with his Mama while Glaucus has a Crisis in the corner. Glaucus is so, SO grateful for Megara’s presence in his life after Prompto happens because on one hand YAY PROMPTO LIVES on the other I HAVE A BABY WHAT DO I DO WITH IT. Megara, who has lived with these clowns for years by this point, doesn’t even bat an eye at the fact that Besithia MADE A BABY and that Glaucus has insta adopted him and is just like “this is your feeding schedule this is your optimal sleep schedule this is how you change a diaper thi-” While Ardyn coos in the background because he adores kids with every fiber of his blackened soul.

Also this means Ignis is also a tiny Mad Science bby, because Obviously Ignis, as a little prodigy that he is, is going to take an interest in anything that interests his bby cousin Prompto and science is a challenge to him. He’s not as much of a science nerd as Prompto, especially not after he’s introduced to bby Noctis and his brain kicks fully over into Mom Mode but he definitely knows enough to get by and chime in when Prompto goes on a tangent.

I have yet to decide who the dad is. If the dad is not a one-night stand, then the dad either takes his wife’s name (because mafia boss wife trumps patriarchy) or-

And hear me out.

Besithia is the dad.

NOT IN THE WAY YOU THINK.

But like- think of the glorious chaos, of Glaucus’s MELTDOWN if, while he’s off somewhere doing his saving the world business and it’s just Megara and Besithia and suddenly Besithia’s lab time is interrupted with Scientia coming in and going, “I want a baby.”

And Besithia very, very slowly sets down his lab tools and ....

Stares at her.

In a quiet befuddled sort of way that indicates he thinks he misheard her but cannot for the life of him come up with an alternate version of what she might have really said.

And she crosses her arms and repeats, “I want. A baby. Of my own.”

Besithia squints, because they’ve known each other for years at this point and he KNOWS she knows Glaucus’s rules on the Cloning Of Human Beings and that she is also not interested in any of the group sexually because they’re basically all her pet idiots, “...I’m fairly certain there are websites for that,” Besithia says slowly.

And the queen of the underworld rolls her eyes, “I do not want to spend the next two or three years dating a male who may or may not work out as a husband, not with the complications of my ‘job’. Nor do I feel like risking a one-night stand or fling, especially not with the people who know of my work.”

Besithia continues to squint, but there is an idea sparking in his eyes, a glimmer of understanding for what she wants, “I can’t clone babies. It’s against the Rules.”

“No, but I am a perfectly functional woman and there are known, legal medical procedures for this. I’m just coming to you rather than a hospital because I don’t want news to get out to the underworld. I’d rather they run themselves in circles trying to figure out who the father is. It will keep them busy.”

Besithia fully turns around in his swivel chair and props his chin on his hands, “If Glaucus finds out about this, you’re taking the blame.”

“Agreed.”

“And I’m going to need time to get the equipment and an adequate male sample.”

“Understood.”

Besithia nods slowly, an manic look blooming that would have disturbed her years ago but now is just normal to her mind, “Any preferences on the donor’s appearance?”

“I like green eyes.”

“Noted.”

And so she wanders off and Besithia gets equipment and bribes someone at a proper hospital for the things he needs and by the time Glaucus checks in from wherever he’s been, Megara is in like- her second trimester and the underworld is losing its mind trying to figure out who the dad is (because if the dad is Glaucus then they are all screwed and they know it). And Glaucus stiffens, mentally checks his calendar, then slowly relaxes because ah yes, Ignis. Then a moment later he’s confused, because who’s the father?

And Megara looks perfectly calm and blasé as she answers, “I don’t know, ask Besithia, he’s the one who picked out the sample. Though it was my idea so don’t be too upset with him.”

And far away in another part of the city Besithia gets a chill up his spine and swears he can already hear Glaucus screeching his name.

That doesn’t stop him from accidentally creating bby Prompto 2 years later but hey.

[300iqprower]

Whoops, ended up making another fanservant because of a cat pic

It's my fanservant's kid this time

Also, in case my handwriting is unreadable:

Francesco

Violinist

Antonio's older brother and music teacher

Has Glaucus, Dodola and Mayari in his spirit

Girolamo

Francesco's son

Went to his Uncle Antonio in Vienna to study music

Clarinettist

How to these two have wikipedia pages but not one of the incarnations of friggin Tamamo-no-Mae the demon fox

Anyways that's certainly a very unique trio, I can see Glaucus being the lead given the theme of prophecy and outer beings (DGPs, the Avenger schtick, etc), with Dodola influencing the music given her rituals. Meanwhile Mayari can be thrown at just about anything and make it interesting.

Looking into Girolamo that actually does sound like a neat general character concept, someone who took an instrument that was being phased out of use entirely, and decided if it was all they could play they'd play it so well they wouldnt be allowed to phase him out with it. Double so when it's an instrument Mozart is notable for making use of (Basset Horn)

[godsofhumanity]

BOOK VI | HOMER'S ILIAD | LITERATURE REVIEW

SUMMARY: Diomed battles against Glaucus, but old ties of friendship between their fathers causes the two to make peace with each other. Hector, meanwhile, returns back to Troy in order to make special sacrifices to Athena after recognising that Troy is on the losing side of the war. Seeing Paris shirk from the fighting, Hector berates Paris' cowardice, and Helen asks Hector to rest from the war since it is apparent to her that he has carried the brunt of the fight. Hector leaves and visits his own wife, Andromache, fearing that he might never see her or his newborn son, Astyanax, again. He bids them farewell, and then Paris and Hector rejoin the fight.

previous book / all books / next book

this was a really freaking sad book T-T

the book continues to describe the bloody battle ensuing between the Achaeans and the Trojans.

two fights in particular are given a lot of attention; the fight between Menelaus and Adrestus, and the fight between Diomed and Glaucus.

these two fights are very interesting to me, and they seem to almost be in opposition to each other; each scene portrays a different aspect of war.

with Menelaus and Adrestus, we see the cruelity of war in relation to prisoners-of-war, fear, and death.

Adrestus is the son of a rich man, and he begs Menelaus to take pity on his life, promising that his father will pay Menelaus a large ransom in return for sparing him, and Menelaus actually does agree!

however, unfortunately for Adrestus, Agamemnon catches sight of Menelaus sparing a Trojan life and persuades Menelaus to "leave no man alive" and kill Adrestus:

"'My good Menelaus,' said [Agamemnon], 'this is no time for giving quarter. Has, then, your house fared so well at the hands of the Trojans? Let us not spare a single one of them- not even the child unborn and in its mother's womb; let not a man of them be left alive, but let all in Ilium perish, unheeded and forgotten.'"

forgetting Adrestus' cowardice in begging for his life, what this statement marks is the sudden change in intensity of the war.

in the previous book, it was revealed how tired and exhausted the men were- when Agamemnon tried to trick his men and pretended that they were going home, everyone was relieved...

and when Paris and Menelaus was meant duel it out one-on-one instead of everyone else having to fight, both sides of the war were very content to be allowed to rest.

Paris' fleeing from the fight, and the Trojans' seeming betrayal when they shoot at Menelaus plunges both sides back into a war even bloodier than before.

it was common before to take prisoners-of-war, but now Agamemnon insists on killing everyone, children included.

this is only Book 6, so you can imagine how much more brutal the war is set to become....

on the other hand, comradery and honour is to be found during a battle, and this is precisely what the fight between Diomed and Glaucus represents.

Diomed has been quite the thorn in the Trojans' side, killing many key players. but here, Diomed refrains from killing a Trojan on account of the friendship he shares with Diomed's father.

Glaucus is the grandson of the great hero Bellerophon, who once was a guest in the house of Oeneus, Diomed's grandfather. Diomed recognises and honours the friendship that his forefather had with Glaucus' forefather, and instead chooses to make peace with him.

even more interesting, is that the two exchange armour as a visible sign to all that they are friends:

"... we two, then, will exchange armor, that all present may know of the old ties that subsist between us."

the scene is vastly different to that which took place between Menelaus and Adrestus, and is just another example of the many different sides of war.

some other curious things i noticed as i read through the passage included another scene of Diomed being hypocritical (something i wrote about in the previous post). Diomed recites the story of Dionysus cursing Lycurgus, and then uses the story as his reasoning for not wanting to fight anyone who is the son of a god:

"Therefore I will not fight with the blessed gods; but if you are of them that eat the fruit of the ground [(i.e. you are mortal)], draw near and meet your doom."

but literally in the previous book Diomed was fighting Apollo, stabbing Aphrodite, and gutting Ares... i'm not sure where Diomed gets his confidence from, but he really pisses me off!!

another thing to notice is that, when Diomed and Glaucus exchange their armour, Zeus is mentioned as tricking Glaucus:

"But the son of Cronus made Glaucus take leave of his wits, for he exchanged golden armour for bronze, the worth of a hundred head of cattle for the worth of nine."

i couldn't really find any further notes on this scene, but it does make me wonder why Zeus did this... i feel that it's related to Bellerophon.

in the myth, Bellerophon gets a big head after doing lots of heroic stuff, and feels that he's worthy of going to Mt Olympus, so he gets Pegasus to fly him there, but a gadfly stings Pegasus and Bellerophon falls off. he spends the rest of his life blind and miserable,, but unfortunately for him, the rest of his family suffers quite terribly too; Ares kills his son Isander, Artemis kills his daughter Laodaemia, and it seems the only survivor was his last son, Hippolochus. so, all in all, Bellerophon is quite cursed by the gods.

i wonder whether Zeus' deception is further punishment for Bellerophon- even his grandson cannot escape the wrath of the gods.

now, on to the main course of Book 6- the contrast between the noble Hector, and the coward Paris.

from the get go, it's very clear that Hector and Paris have very different, opposing characters. Paris runs from battle, while Hector charges head first. Paris' will wavers, while Hector is always aware of his responsibilities and places Troy before his own needs every time.

and it seems, even Hector is aware of how poor Paris' character is when he says to his own mother that he'd find relief if he only got to see Paris dying:

"Could I but see [Paris] go down into the house of Hades, my heart would forget its heaviness."

Hector is far from a cruel man, but i think his exasperation with how fickle Paris is is really exemplified here in this statement. Hector doesn't truly wish for Paris to die, but he is definitely exhausted and wearied by the fighting. he is frustrated by Paris' cowardice, and most likely ashamed to be called his brother when he sees Paris shirking away from his responsibilities.

when Hector comes face-to-face with Paris, he berates him, but this time, Paris acknowledges Hector's anger and assures him that he is ready to rejoin the fight:

"Wait, then, while I put on my armor, or go first and I will follow. I shall be sure to overtake you."

this line presents a lot of promise,, but is immediately contrasted by Paris' line towards the end of the book:

"... Paris came upon his brother Hector... 'Sir,' said he, 'I fear that I have kept you waiting when you are in haste, and have not come as quickly as you bade me.'"

so, even though Paris assured Hector that he was so keen on fighting again that he'd make it to the frontlines before Hector did, Paris, as expected, does not make good on his promise, and instead arrives after Hector.

this provides a lot of insight into Paris' character and fully reveals him to be weak-willed and cowardly.

by contrast, Hector serves as the noble, brave son of Priam. where Paris is constantly wavering between wanting to fight, and wanting to hide, Hector is always ready to rejoin the fight.

three times in Book 6 is Hector asked to sit down just for a moment to catch his breath and rest, and three times does Hector refuse, because he knows that he must return to the battle immediately:

"When Hector got there, his fond mother came up to him... She took his hand within her own and said: '... Wait till I can bring you wine that you may make offering to Zeus... and may then drink and be refreshed. Wine gives a man fresh strength when he is wearied, as you are now with fighting on behalf of your kinsmen.' And Hector answered, ''Honored mother, bring no wine, lest you unman me and I forget my strength.'"

"... Helen tried to sooth [Hector]. ... '... Still, brother, come in and rest upon this seat, for it is you who bear the brunt of that toil that has been caused by my hateful self and by the sin of Paris...' And Hector answered: 'Bid me not be seated, Helen, for all the good will you bear me. I cannot stay. I am in haste to help the Trojans, who miss me greatly when I am not among them...'"

"... Andromache stood by [Hector] weeping and [took] his hand in her own. 'Dear husband,' said she, '... have mercy upon me; stay here upon this wall; make not your child fatherless, and your wife a widow..." And Hector answered: 'Wife, I too have thought upon all this, but with what face should I look upon the Trojans, men or women, if I shirked battle like a coward? I cannot do so...'"

the repetition of "And Hector answered" seems intentional here, as though Homer (or perhaps Butler in his translation) purposefully wished for the audience to pick up on Hector's consistent response.

i think the detailed descriptions of Hector's interaction with everyone makes his future death all the more tragic. understanding how heroic Hector is helps us to understand Priam's future urgency in recovering Hector's body, as well as how important Hector is to the Trojans as both a role model for the men in the city in terms of family dynamics, and as a leader in the war.

lastly, i want to talk about sweet Andromache and Hector together. Hector goes to see Andromache because he is unsure when he might breathe his last (emphasising the uncertainty of war):

"I must go home to see my household, my wife and my little son, for I know not whether I shall ever again return to them, or whether the gods will cause me to fall by the hands of the Achaeans."

and when he goes, he discovers that Andromache is not sitting idle in her home, but has been at the city wall the entire time, watching the battle unfold anxiously.

i think this says a lot about Andromache's character- she is fierce in her own right, not scared to watch as hundreds of her people die in front of her. still she stays, and she waits patiently.

of course, when Andromache meets Hector, she begs him not to return to the battle. she explains how the rest of her family has already been killed, and that Troy is all she has left. in particular she describes Hector's importance to her:

"Nay- Hector- you who to me are father, mother, brother, and dear husband- have mercy upon me..."

we know exactly how close Andromache and Hector are from his description. Hector has evidently been there for Andromache at every turn in her life- she has lost her mother, her father, and all of her brothers (7 in total), but Hector, as her devoted husband, and taken the place of her missing family and filled the void left in Andromache's heart by their death.

and now, Andromache stands to lose Hector too.

somehow, it seems that even Hector's newborn son, Scamandrius (but affectionately called "Astyanax", meaning "king of the city", by the Trojans) recognises the impending death that awaits his father-

when Astyanax sees Hector, Hector's armor and helmet scares him, and causes him to cry, but when Hector removes his helmet, Astyanax laughs with joy:

"[Hector] stretched his arms towards his child, but the boy cried and nestled in his nurse's bosom, scared at the sight of his father's armor, and at the horse-hair plume that nodded fiercely from his helmet. His father and mother laughed to see him, but Hector took the helmet from his head and laid it all gleaming upon the ground. Then he took his darling child, kissed him, and dandled him in his arms, praying over him the while to Zeus and to all the gods."

when Hector dons his armour, it's a sign of him participating in the battle- the cry of Astyanax at the sight of Hector's helmet then foreshadows the death and destruction that awaits Hector when he rejoins the fray, but when he removes his helmet, it's similar to Hector being free from the war, and simply spending time with his family in the safety of his home.

something that i've often noticed, not just in the Iliad, but in most fictional works- when a character gets a lovely backstory, and we're introduced to characters who love him, you can often safely bet that they're going to die :( and Hector is no different.

when Hector leaves Andromache, Homer tells us that Andromache returns to the house and mourns Hector, even though at this point in the Iliad, Hector is still alive:

"... so they mourned Hector in his own house though he was yet alive, for they deemed that they should never seen him return safe from battle, and from the furious hands of the Achaeans."

this little insight added with the foreshadowing provided in Astyanax's reaction to Hector's helmet enforces the idea that Hector is not going to survive the Iliad...

i've always loved Hector and Andromache both- they're my favourite characters... and reading these scenes has not helped me at all... so before i finish up this post, i just want to share one of my favourite little lines- and that is, the prayer that Hector prays for Astyanax:

"'Zeus,' [Hector] cried, 'grant that this my child may be even as myself, chief among the Trojans; let him be not less excellent in strength, and let him rule Ilium with his might. Then may one say of him as he comes from battle, 'The son is far better than the father.' May he bring back the bloodstained spoils of him whom he has laid low, and let his mother's heart be glad.'"

this prayer makes me cry because we already know that a) Zeus isn't really on the side of the Trojans- he has already made arrangements with Hera and Athena to grant victory to the Achaeans, so Hector's prayer is meaningless and will be in vain, and b) most accounts of the Trojan War say that Astyanax never even reaches adulthood- he is thrown off the walls to his death as a baby.................. Hector wishes for Andromache's "heart [to] be glad", but an audience with insight knows that the exact opposite is waiting for Andromache :(((((((

i suppose in a way,, Hector's prayer is granted- Astyanax is even with Hector.. even in death that is,, for neither one is to survive the Trojan War :(

[airi-p4]

While it lasts

This was supposed to be kind of a S4 theory about akumatized Luka + a canon-verse Lukanette approach. I guess my hand slipped?  This is similar to my previous fic ‘Betrayer’, in which Juleka was the akumatized one. 

Warning: ANGST.

AO3 _________________________

"Jagged Stone is your father" Anarka had just told her twin children.

Luka's world was shattered into pieces.

Jagged Stone. His favorite musician. His inspiration. His mother's old music partner.

Their father.

One word occupies his mind: abandoned.

And the image of him takes a 180 degree turn. From admiration to despise.

His idol abandoned him. Him and his sister. His mother too.

Why?

He hates it. He hates all of it.

He hates it so much, not even his girlfriend Marinette can calm him down like she usually does. Not even her sympathetic voice or her sweet heart melody can heal him. Neither could her hand pressed on his in comfort.

Juleka's mind had gone blank for some seconds. Memories of how fond Luka was of Jagged Stone occupying her mind. 'Cool', she thinks, and then she focuses on her brother, who is clearly in shock.

In silence. In a trance.

He can't hear anything anymore, she realizes, after noticing how he isn't paying attention to either Marinette's, her mother's or her own calls.

His heart song is strident, loud, noisy- And his eyes lose all his light, all his kindness too.

'Abandoned'

This word keeps spiraling in his mind. On repeat. In an infinite loop.

"Luka!" He hears Marinette's voice call him in alert, finally making him snap out of it and find the strength to fight the akuma that just entered his guitar.

“Marinette… Don’t abandon me…” he begs, holding her while fighting not to lose control and fall under Shadow Moth's control.

“I won’t”, she assures him, clearly supporting him. She keeps encouraging him not to fall into the darkness of the dark butterfly.

Her melody is sincere. So sincere she can’t hide her still unburied feelings for certain blond hair and green eyes that make her heart flutter. And he can see it: the moment that is bound to happen, the moment Marinette will break up with him to go to Adrien. The moment all walls separating them will collapse and they will meet each other in the tangled maze of secrets they’re currently trapped in. The crumble of the castle that allowed him the miracle to have her by his side at this moment.

“You won’t” he whispers, feeling his biggest fear close: Silence- loneliness.

Abandoned.

His arms tighten around her, holding her even closer, impeding her from moving. He pulls her so close he's even hurting her a little. Marinette slightly protests in a cry, but she’s more emotionally affected than physically. "Luka-!"

She's scared.

She wants to assure him she’s honest. She wishes to be able to give him all her love, her existence-

And his newly appeared akuma form is willing to take it all.

His guitar is now a big fish net, his body has grown 3 times bigger and his looks are similar to a sea God. ‘Glaucus’, he calls himself. The name of the God of the fishermen in Greek mythology. His hair is longer, and his belly has become a transparent fish tank, where he plans to keep his loved ones, both safe and close so they don’t abandon him.

Punishment for the ones who abandon, lie and betray.

Protection for the loved ones.

'Justice', he calls it.

He doesn’t even need a big fish tank, because his loved ones are limited. A countable number of individuals is enough for him: Marinette, his mother, his twin sister, the rest of Kitty Section… Mylène too, maybe, since he would feel bad for Ivan if he left her out of it. And he would consider Marinette's family too, since he knows how much she appreciates them.

As for punishment? It's also clear: Jagged Stone comes first, followed by Lila Rossi among others who have dared to hurt his loved ones, such as Chloe Bourgeois and Bob Roth.

Marinette trembles at the vision after he finally lets her go of her to grab his fish catching instrument. A tear escapes her eye, and slides to fall from her chin. And then she runs: because that’s the only way she can help him: run, transform, defeat him and fix the damage she will fight to prevent from happening.

But she's ignoring the most important fact. The fact that that's exactly the action which will lead to her down fall, the sight that frightens Luka the most: Marinette turning her back to him, leaving him all alone.

His song abandoning him.

Rage, pain and despair fills his heart, unable to be contained with his meditation or her music. The music he himself turned into a loud mess, sounding just like nails scraping on a chalkboard, painful to his ears and his soul.

And that’s when he traps her, his net capturing her and turning her into a small, bright pink colored mermaid, he literally swallows to get her inside the fish tank he carries inside his transparent glass made belly.

A relieved sigh leaving his throat: Marinette is now secured. She won't leave his side again. ‘Who’s next…?�� He questions himself, looking at his horrified mother, Anarka as he smirks. He'll soon have all of them in his treasured fish tank.

And what will happen to those who deserve punishment? Fish out of the water- dry fins gasping for oxygen. Dead fish with eyes as cold as their hearts. Or even better- Jagged is going to be abandoned on his own before that- just like he cold-heartedly abandoned him and his sister.

And now that he mentions it… 'Where's Juleka?'

The akuma looks for her, but he doesn't see her around. 'She can wait' he decides, his chants summoning a big sea wave to carry him to his unwanted father's hotel suite.

__________

Jagged Stone can't believe his eyes. An akuma claiming to be his son has just turned Penny into a goldfish, who is now struggling with tiny desperate jumps for oxygen to breathe through her newly acquired fins. Impossible without water. Fang is next to join Jagged's personal assistant, now tiny and convulsing.

"Who are you!? Why are you doing this!? I have no kids!! Don't lie!! Stop this! Turn them to their original forms! They could die!" The rock star angrily begs under Glaucus lashes.

"You're the one who is lying! My mother never lies, so you are the one lying when you say you have no children! You're the one who abandoned us!" He yells as angry as Jagged. "All the admiration and respect I had for you is now hate and disgust! You deserve punishment for the sake of Justice!"

"Stop right there, mermaid boy. Didn't we already make it clear what the difference between revenge and justice was when you were 'Silencer'?" Chat Noir joined the battle, protecting Jagged from being crushed under the akuma's weapon.

The akuma attacks again, but this time he's stopped by someone else. Someone Chat Noir brought along with him- a new superhero.

_______

During the time Marinette was trapped, Tikki, safe and sound, had carried a Miraculous to Juleka, who was watching terrified at how the events developed on TV. She was too focused to notice the kwami, but she clearly noticed the box that fell on her hand out of nowhere. Reaching it, she curiously opened it, and a magical creature appeared in front of her.

"Hi there! I'm Roarr. It's nice to meet you, Juleka!" The little tiger introduced himself.

"What are you? What's going on?" Juleka questioned.

"I'm a kwami. I grant powers! Put on that jewelry and call for the magical words to transform into a superhero"

"Me? A superhero like Ladybug? I don't think I can-" she nervously mumbled, unconfident.

"The guardian chose you for this mission! You want to save your brother, right?" Juleka nodded. "Then say the words: Roarr, transform me"

"Roarr, transform me" Juleka said, and magic surrounded her. Her new appearance was purple with tiger-like orange colored stripes over her body. Her mask was the same colors of the suit, and a pair of tiny ears decorated her now tied hair, her ponytail loose in the wind.

Moments later, she ran towards the hotel, unknowingly followed by Ladybug's kwami.

And the battle started.

________________

"Luka! I know you're hurt, but Jagged is telling the truth! He never abandoned u- you! He never knew he was a father! He probably doesn't even know by now!" The new hero desperately yelled.

"Lies! All lies! He deserves punishment! And you do too!" The akuma points at the heroes and Jagged who is hiding behind them.

"I'll show you the truth!" The tigress announces, calling for her superpower.

Her claws become shiny and with one touch, she marks an ‘X’ on Jagged's forehead, and a purple cloud comes out of his mouth and surrounds them, as if they had just entered his dreamland- except it's, in fact, the rock star’s memories.

Luka is in denial. It is true. Jagged Stone never knew about them. Which means he abandoned them unknowingly. Was he innocent, though?

No, he wasn’t. Because he had indeed abandoned his mother.

_______

Meanwhile, Marinette had been trying to find a way out of the fish tank. She couldn't transform into Ladybug even if Tikki was free, because that would make her identity public. She needed another plan.

That's when she asked Tikki to get Juleka the tiger Miraculous- and it had, once again, been the right choice.

Marinette couldn't just stay still,watching. She fought to find a way out.

Making use of the constant moving water, and with Anarka and Kitty Section's help, she found a way up, arriving to his heart. Or was it the akuma’s heart? It didn’t matter to her as long as she could save him.

The sight was not what she had expected: a vast sea surrounded by colorful stained glass with the people he cared the most portrayed on them. Anarka, Juleka and Kitty Section were there. Big, colorful and shining bright.

Marinette continued swimming in his inner tormented sea of darkness until she found another glass under a cliff: hers. It looked beautiful, but unreachable, since a rose garden guarded and protected it. Untouchable beauty.

Was this Luka's vision of her? A beautiful flower surrounded by thorns, with green stains on paint messing with the almost perfect piece of art’s balance and making it painful to watch?

Marientte felt her heart ache in guilt.

She knew she was the cause of the hurt in his eyes which he sometimes looked at her with. He had always seen through her, despite how much she had been starting to believe her own lies about ‘moving on’ and ‘love’.

Marinette shook her head: no time to waste. Cry later. Focus now.

Her tail brought her to a cliff island with a broken stained glass window next to it. The one that belonged to Jagged Stone, as his name was written on a rock. It most likely broke at the revelation of Jagged being Luka’s father, but now the window was pitch black, with the pieces scattered on the floor. Silent.

She could feel his fears of being abandoned in her own skin, and froze at the realization: his endurance and his strength were only there thanks to music. A music his heart lacked at the moment.

Music.

That's the answer. Music was what healed his heart. This time too, he needed music.

But what could she do without musical knowledge? Or without any instrument to play?

'My voice' she notices. ‘I still have my voice’

Marinette starts singing her own heart song as composed by Luka, while the battle outside continues, now with their visit to Jagged Stone's memories.

Perfect timing.

And clouds appear over Jagged's glass window, the wind carrying some pieces back to its original place- partly reconstructed.

Maybe the mermaid form had another purpose, Marinette wonders. Maybe Luka couldn't completely let go of music, after all, whether he was akumatized or not. Or maybe...

Back to present, Marinette sees a light up that lifts her out of Luka's insides. Next time she blinks, she has recovered her original appearance- clumsy human girl Marinette.

"Run!" Chat Noir commands, and she obeys. As she runs, she gazes back at Luka, who shows her a painfully sad smile.

"Marinette!" Her kwami calls her before she can give it deeper thought. "Tikki! Spots on!"

Moments later, Ladybug makes it to the battle. "Lucky charm!"

____________

The battle ends soon. Too soon, to Ladybug's surprise. ‘Why did he offer no resistance?’

She'll have time to think about this later. First… "Miraculous Ladybug!" Ladybug rushed to recover Juleka's Miraculous so they could go back to Luka as soon as possible.

"Thank you, Ladybug" Juleka says, running off to hug her brother.

Marinette detransforms next and soon reaches them too. But she hesitates again. Should she be by his side when she hurts him so much?

Luka meets her gaze and smiles softly, apologetically and embarrassed, but clearly welcoming her. And she doesn't hesitate anymore to join their collective hug, melting in love after a swirl of emotions. They part from the hug and they all focus on Jagged Stone who is still processing what happened.

"Wait a second- Are you really my children…? You thought I abandoned you…?” Jagged asks the twins, before turning his head to Anarka. “Why didn't you tell me? Weren't we partners? 'Rock-'n'-roll until the crocodile controls'. Remember?"

"You said you wanted to go solo. You left me behind. Did you really expect me to go back to you after the humiliation I suffered? I gave you my heart and you threw me away as soon as you could!" Anarka yelled.

"I was young and immature, and not the best father figure, I admit it! But I deserved to know! You should have told me!"

"I'm telling you now! They are your children, Luka and Juleka. If you ever want to meet them, you know where we live. Don’t you ever come back if you plan to abandon them later" Anarka says, grabbing her children's shoulders and guiding them to move out of the hotel room with a push.

"I'm sorry…" Luka mumbles to Jagged, before leaving the room.

"I'm the one who is sorry…" Jagged admits to Marinette before she runs to follow the Couffaines and Kitty Section. “I’ll go visit sometime! I promise!”

“Are you ok, Luka?” Marinette asks after leaving through the hotel doors, seeing how Jagged is looking at them from the highest balcony.

“I will be. Eventually…” he returns his gaze down to focus on Marinette, reaching to hold her hand. “I don’t need Jagged’s music as long as I can listen to yours''

Marinette feels her cheeks burn.

________________________

On their way home, Marinette can’t take what she’s seen out of her head. ‘It was Luka's heart, right? And Luka’s true feelings. He truly loves me’, she realized. ‘But why…?’

With an instant of bravery, Marinette pulls Luka's hand to separate themselves from the rest of his family and friends.

"Luka… I- Am I painful to be with? To watch?" She bites her lip a bit and asks in terror. “Am I hurting you?”

"Of course not, Marinette. Never.” Luka assures her with a soft, faint smile. “You're more than I could ever ask for. You're the most beautiful song I've ever heard"

"Even if I have those unbearable to watch green stains...?" she whispers, embarrassed and angry at herself for not being able to make her feelings go according to her wishes.

"It can’t be helped, can it? And even if that’s the case, for me, you’re still the most beautiful despite those colors"

“Is my heart song really enough to cover for that ugliness? I hate it myself…”

“You shouldn’t. Imperfections can enhance beauty. I don’t mind them as long as I can hear your song up close” he answers.

“But-! Are you sure…? Aren’t you afraid I might end up abandoning you?” she finally asks, scared for his answer.

“I am. I’m terrified” he admits. “But how am I supposed to stand in the way of your wishes- your happiness? I can’t and I won’t do that” Luka shrugs, “Aren’t you scared of being abandoned too?”

“I am” she answers, after giving it some thought. “and that’s not the main reason for it, but I want to stay by your side” she realizes, “more than ever”.

Luka squeezes her hand and shows her a soft expression. “Thank you for always saving me. Akumatized or not,” he whispers to her ear. It surprises Marinette to see how his cheeks are pink over his fond smile.

“No-! I- I just sang a song and- It was all thanks to the new her-” she stopped herself. Luka couldn’t possibly remember what happened when he was akumatized. No one told him, no one showed him the news. He couldn’t know he turned her into a mermaid, or how she sang. Yet he thanked her for saving him.

‘Of course he knows’ Marinette understands. ‘Yet he didn’t reveal me to Shadow Moth and he let me go on purpose, too’. Her thoughts deepen. ‘I get it now’ she reaches her conclusion. ‘He wanted me to save him. He wanted me to take him back after he realized he was on the wrong side. It makes sense. He protected me despite being akumatized once again- like when he was Silencer’.

The girl’s feet stop walking for a moment at the revelation, causing Luka to look back at her. Taking one step closer, she raises on her tiptoes and gives Luka a kiss on his lips, surprising both of them.

‘I wonder what kind of music his heart is hearing now,’ she wonders, ‘because I can only hear a grateful and sincere happy tune in my own heart right now’

“Your heartsong is beautiful” she finishes with a smile he reciprocates.

Most likely, both of them knew deep inside that their relationship as it was now was bound to end at some point, sooner or later. Maybe both of them would always be afraid of loneliness and being abandoned, too. But wasn’t it enough to enjoy the music they created in that instant, while it lasts? Isn’t it the same with live concerts? They might end, but the sensations last forever in memories. Is it something to regret? Neither of them felt it was. And perhaps both of them secretly agreed with that logic as they continued walking hand in hand, enjoying each other's company and welcoming their mutual love and support, in whatever form their relationship changes into in the future.

[johannstutt413]

(requested by anonymous)

The Doctor was in her office, but she’d stopped working several hours ago; in fact, when Orchid came by to ask about her squad’s upcoming deployment, she found her at the empty assistant’s desk with what looked like a full-blown toolbox at her side. “Good afternoon, Doctor. I didn’t come at a bad time, did I?”

“Oh, hey, Orchid! Nah, I’m just working on some’n for my anniversary.” She held up the ring she was working on. “It’s our first, so I wanna do some’n extra special, ya know?”

“Anniversary? I didn’t know you were even seeing anyone. Who’s the lucky guy? Or gal, either way.”

That earned the Liberi a smile. “Blue, Glaucus, and I are going on six months now.”

“Huh. Like, all three of you together?” She whistled. “I think one’s about all I can handle.”

“I think that’s partially because of who that one person is, though.” The Doctor’s smile was somewhere between caustic and glacial as she fired off her retort.

Orchid sighed. “Yeah, you’ve got a point there...So, do you have an update for me on when my team’s heading out into the field? Poppy’s trying to schedule chainsaw lessons with Blaze, and it’s probably better for those to happen on deployment rather than in one of the training areas.”

“Oh, yeah, definitely.” She rolled her chair across the floor to reach her computer. “Lemme see where I put you...”

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Blue Poison was sitting at the counter with a pencil and pad of paper, sketching and erasing more than she ever had before. Cakes were supposed to be her thing, so why was this so hard…

“Hey, Blue!” Gummy walked in, a box of ingredients in her arms. “Everything okay? You looked stressed.”

“I’m making a cake for my anniversary today, and I want it to be perfect...but I don’t know how to make it look the way I want it to.”

The chef set her box on a side table. “Maybe I can help? Mousse has been-”

“Hi, Gummy!” Speak of the Feline, and she shall appear. “Oh, Miss Blue? You look worried.”

“Mousse, you showed up just in time! Blue’s baking an anniversary cake, but she’s worried it won’t look good. Can you help us come up with something that’ll really wow her special someone?”

The Anura mumbled, “Someones. I have two girlfriends.”

“Sure, I can help!” A black cat appeared out of nowhere with her sketchpad. “What kind of cake do you want to make?”

“...A wedding cake.”

While Rhodes Island’s best bakers conspired to craft the perfect anniversary cake, Glaucus tinkered in her room, looking through schematics to find the pieces she needed for the ideas in her head. It wasn’t every day she had something to celebrate, so she felt like she really had to make this special, but she was quickly discovering she didn’t have many ideas that made good toys. “Hmm...The Doctor said she’d like something she can set on her desk, and Blue likes watching the clouds on the top deck. Maybe something held in a magnetic field that has a liquid component? That would be interesting, and it shouldn’t be too hard to make. I will need a container of some kind for it, though.”

*knock knock* “Glaucus?” That was Mayer’s voice at the door. “Do you have the prototype for the magnetic field generator model?”

“One second.” The Supporter engaged her exosuit, walked over to the table she set the model on, and opened the door to hand it to the Anaty at the door...

...Who looked behind her and saw what she was working on. “Has it already been six months?”

“Hmm?” Glaucus followed her eyes. “Yeah. I want to make them something like levitating lava lamps. Actually, can I borrow a few Meeboos? I need some help with the containers, and I’m not entirely sure what I want to fill them with for the best effect.”

“I’ll do you one better and help you myself. It’s been kind of a slow day, but helping you out might teach me something I can use on the magnet-powered Meeboo!”

With a little trepidation, she let Mayer inside. “Alright, you can help me out. We’re gonna need two of them.”

“Obviously.” The Anaty chuckled. “What else would you do, ask them both to share?”

“...I am so glad I work with someone this perceptive.”

--- --- --- --- ---

The Doctor’s shift came to an end, and she returned home with a trio of rings in her pocket, eager to start celebrating. She wondered if her girlfriends had gotten as into this idea of anniversaries as she had; for her, it was a brand new type of memory, one that, even as an amnesiac, she knew was a new sort of experience, and one she was looking forward to having many more of...

‘Home’ for the trio was the Doctor’s suite, partially because it’d been the largest of their three rooms, partially because she was the only one who didn’t need a separate workshop for her stuff, and partially because her room had been site zero...entirely by accident. All three of them being there had been intentional, at least - Meteor had held a meet-and-greet sort of thing for the more introverted folks, the sort of event only a team mom could have considered and then kept enjoyable, and afterwards Blue and Glaucus had taken up on the Doctor’s offer for a nightcap. 

They quickly discovered none of them could actually drink alcohol, each for a completely different reason, so it’d turned into the three of them talking the night away instead. The Anura made a remark that this was the most of Glaucus’ voice she’d heard since they’d met, and the Supporter admitted with a blush that this was the most comfortable she’d felt around a pair of people since she’d arrived. That got the two of them talking about life before Rhodes Island; Blue reminisced about walking hand-in-hand with friends, which prompted the Doctor and Glaucus to ask why she didn’t at RI. She sighed, saying most people were too scared of the possibility of her poisoning them to consider it - and before she could even finish the sentence, they’d each grabbed the hand closest to them with a level of coordination they couldn’t have even planned.

Man, that was a fun night.

Anyway, the Doctor went to unlock her door, only to have Blue open it for her with a bright smile, already out of her work clothes and in something casual. “Welcome home~ How was work?”

“Slow as hell, honestly.” She went for a kiss, encouraged by the frosting on the Anura’s upper lip. “You made dessert, I take it?”

“You’ll see. Glue got back a few minutes ago and went to the bedroom to change, if you want to join her.”

A shrug. “I think I’ll keep you company until she’s out. Did you burn yourself, dear?”

“Hmm? Oh, this?” She shook her head. “I dropped a beaker and cut myself while cleaning up. Nothing serious.”

“Gotcha. Hey, that was quick!” They both turned to watch Glaucus walk out of the bedroom.

The Supporter waved. “Didn’t need to do much. Are we ready to start?”

“Yeah, let’s do it!” The Doctor rubbed her hands together in anticipation. “I can’t wait to see... this...cake...Holy shit.”

“You’ve really outdone yourself, Blue,” Glaucus agreed, swooping in to take her hand as their third tried to figure out how to tackle the three-tiered titan in front of them.

She giggled. “I’m happy you both think so. I had some help planning it, but it turned out even better than I expected.”

“This reminds me of something,” the Doctor noted as they took the topmost layer for themselves, “but...I don’t know what.”

“It’s a wedding cake,” the Supporter replied.

The Anura nodded. “I’ve always wanted to try making one, and I thought this was as good a time as any. Is it good, Doctor?”

“You know how addicted I am to your cakes, Blue.” She’d already eaten a third of the portion she’d retrieved. “I’m happy there’s enough of this one to last a couple days.”

“Once we’re done eating, I have something as well.” Glue chimed in while it was on her mind. “We should wait, though. The frosting might stain them.” 

The Doctor flashed her a thumbs up, and after they’d had their fill (keeping in mind they were planning to go out to eat), Glaucus went back to the bedroom and returned with a pair of blue boxes with green bows on top, each manageable with one hand. “They’re a bit fragile, but I think they’re pretty neat.”

“...This is magnetic, isn’t it?” The Anura opened her box and pulled out a small double-capped cylinder with two distinct layers of liquid along with a flat black base.

“How do we turn them on?” The Doctor wondered aloud. “I don’t see a switch or any- oh, wait, it’s this, isn’t it?”

The Supporter smiled as she found the clicker she’d taped to the top of the box. “Green turns it on, red turns it off; both are gradual to ensure the cylinder doesn’t move too fast and shatter.”

“That’s really co- no, this is awwwwesome. I’m totally taking this to my office.” She’d expected it to float, because Glaucus’ thing was magnets, but to spin as well? That was next-level shit.

“You color-coordinated them as well,” Blue noted with admiration before kissing her on the cheek. “It reminds me of a stormy evening sky.”

Glue blushed. “Then I’m two-for-two.”

“Oh! Speaking of, I made us something, too!” The Doctor fished in her pocket, found the rings, and kept her hand there for a moment.

“...You’ve talked about making jewelry on slower days,” the Anura said, “but it’d be a pain to keep three chains in one pocket.”

Glaucus had to sit down, as even with her exoskeleton on, her knees suddenly felt weak. “Blue, I think I know what she made.”

“Let me know if you guessed right :D.” She held out her hand, and there were three rings - simple silver bands, nearly identical except for differently-colored stones on top - one sapphire, one amethyst, and one citrine.

“I was.” The Supporter fell sideways, laying across Blue’s lap. “We already have the wedding cake.”

The Doctor balked. “Not that I’d say no, but it still feels kinda early for that.”

“All in good time. I’ll consider it a promise for the future.” Blue accepted the amethyst for herself and put the sapphire ring on Glaucus’ finger.

“Same...” Glue, it appeared, was down for the count. “I might need a minute before...dinner...”

That was just fine in their book; the Doctor helped the Anura take their sluggish girlfriend somewhere more comfortable before disengaging the exoskeleton for some late afternoon cuddling. Despite all the blue in their lives (I mean, just look at those color schemes), life had never been brighter...

[themyskira]

Wonder Woman #36

PREVIOUSLY: Wonder Woman has a secret brother who secretly hates her and is secretly working with Darkseid’s daughter for secret reasons. We learned this over the space of about three pages, but James Robinson insisted on throwing in another 97 for padding.

I’m not kidding; it’s been five issues and nothing has fucking happened yet. The plot, such as it is, only really showed up on the final pages of issue #34, and then instead of progressing the story in #35 Robinson just took a thesaurus to the exposition he’d previously written and submitted it as a new script.

This issue, Jason whines, Diana zings, Darkseid is inexplicably a beefcake, and a man comes riding in to save the day.

Somewhere in the Amazon jungle, Jason has evidently fully embraced his new villain persona, having imprisoned Diana in sexually suggestive restraints so that she is forced to listen to his overblown monologue.

baaaawww, I was stuck trawling for fish on an idyllic Greek island while you were out in the world being wonderful. Well, you know what, it’s my turn to be wonderful now! MINE! You heart me, Diana?! I’M THE WONDERFUL ONE.

I feel like all that’s missing is a truly outrageous costume. Maybe he could take some tips from Grail and Kid Darkseid?

Diana doesn’t react, which makes Jason sulk. He worked so hard on first big villainous speech and she’s just staring ahead like she’s bored or something! Diana takes this as an invitation to sort through her feelings out loud. She even lists them, for simplicity! Then she points out that she wasn’t responsible for his being hidden away (valid) and calls him a coward (wait what).

Note that Diana has not even taken a second to consider that Jason may have been deceived or manipulated into turning against her (which is still my bet); she’s simply leapt to the assumption that Jason is a cowardly traitor, worthy of contempt and hatred.

Also, hard to see how name-calling is going to achieve anything here.

We learn that they’re in an ancient beachhead from New Genesis. Diana belatedly tries to reason with Jason, pointing out that he’s working with the woman who has been murdering Zeus’s children — including Jason’s mentor, Hercules.

Jason’s response is bewildering.

Does it matter to me, Diana? The deaths? I don’t know… I’m still trying to process it all, honestly. That’s what I’m acting so… distracted, maybe. Grail told me she’d drain our sibling’s [sic] energy — bleed them, in a sense — but not to the point they’d die.

You haven’t been acting distracted. You’ve practically been twirling an invisible moustache ever since Grail appeared and punctured your ruse.

Also: The murderous daughter of noted intergalactic tyrant Darkseid came to you, explained that she was going to siphon off your siblings’ life-force to feed to her dad — but not much, she promised, just a liiiiiiittle bit from each of them to get dear old Daddy Darkseid back into world-conquering, Anti-Life-chasing shape; certainly not enough to permanently harm or kill them — and you believed her?!

Grail scowls that the deaths her accidental. Diana tells Jason he can’t possibly be that gullible.

‘nuuuuu, but you don’t understaaaaand!’ whines Jason. ‘I was alooooone all my liiiiiife! Abandoned on an islaaaand! Then Grail came and made me not alooooone!’

Diana points out, ‘Bitch, you had a boat. You could’ve come visit me any time.’ (She does not use these words, which is unfortunate.)

Grail interjects: ‘but no mother or father! so abandoned!’

‘He never shuts up about what a great dad Glaucus was!’ Diana says. Liberally paraphrasing again.

‘Yes but my mummy didn’t love meeeee :(:(:(,’ Jason whinges.

Diana rather feebly protests that Hippolyta is a loving woman who must have had her reasons for staying away. (Yes, and that reason is that Polly can’t leave Themyscira without facing permanent exile. There is no mystery here; it’s been firmly established. Diana could also point out that she grew up without a father and she turned out friggin awesome, so stop blaming your own shitty behaviour on parental abandonment, you little dickweed.)

Then she tells Jason he should believe her because she speaks with “[her] heart filled with love”, despite the fact that three pages ago she literally told him her heart was full of anger and disappointment and contempt and hatred. She was very explicit about this.

Grail’s like ‘HEY STOP TALKING REASON TO THE STOOGE’, and Diana’s like ‘righto, I’m done with this shit’. The restraints were never actually keeping her there, she just wanted to try to talk before resorting to force. This is actually a decent reveal and may be the most in-character thing Diana’s done all story.

Unfortunately, she ruins it the very next panel by busting free with this stinker of a sledge:

“YOU’RE BOTH GOING DOWN!”

Which is positively witty compared to the next devastating burn she has in store for Jason:

“I’ll make you sorry, y—” “I’m already sorry, Jason… THAT I EVER MET YOU!”

For maximum effect, please imagine these panels as being accompanied by a Shorten-style ZINGER graphic and sound effect. 

Meanwhile in Belle Reve, Brigadier Colonel Midshipman Field Marshal Steve Trevor has stopped by Giganta’s cell along with Amanda Waller. In case you’ve forgotten her blink-and-you’ll-miss-it two-page appearance from about five issues ago, Giganta was captured by Diana while trying to steal a relic.

Turns out, wouldn’t you just know it, the relic was extraterrestrial in origin and Giganta was hired to steal it by Baby Darkseid.

Who, by the way, is now Beefcake Darkseid.

Diana fights back her surprise to try for an incredible third zing!

“When I saw you last, you were a mean little baby… I doubt the fact you’re a young man now has mellowed you. You certainly won’t be happy when I’ve beaten you.”

Back in Belle Reve — keen to shorten her sentence, Giganta throws Steve a bone in the form of a shopping list of the relics Darkseid still wants to get his hands on.

oh gawwwwd. oh this is too painful. Darkseid throws Diana into the ground all ‘BITCH YOU HAVE NO CHANCE, YOU ARE ALONE AND WEAK’ To which Diana, spitting blood, replies, ‘no but see my mother taught me about this revolutionary concept called HOPE. Jason, take some notes, this is important stuff.’

So of course, Darkseid starts absolutely annihilating Diana, pricking Jason’s conscience and prompting tender flashbacks to their creepily romantic first meeting.

And, of course, Jason stays Darkseid’s hand before the last of her life force can be drained away, because nuuuuuuuu my sisteeeerrr.

Then Hercule bloody Poirot appears on the scene and tells everyone to stop this silliness at once.

I can’t remember his real name — he’s the lawyer fellow who led Diana to Jason, and who’s heavily photo-referenced from David Suchet’s Poirot. And in true Poirot fashion, he monologues for a bit about how terribly clever her was in working out what’s going on. And while he’s tried to remain removed from worldly affairs, he simply can’t stand on the sidelines any more.

Because you see, Hercule Poirot, is really… Zeus.

Yes, really.

uuuuuugggghhhhhh

[bunchamunchafaunus]

Things about the Island Kingdom of Ventus

The weather in Ventus is generally cold, as it shares the northern continent of Solitas with Atlas, but not all parts of Ventus are cold enough to produce snow, or to freeze water. 

The climate fluctuates in different areas, leading to one area snowing while another could be raining, as the one spot is cold enough that temperatures are 10-20 degrees bellow freezing, the other is just 5-10 above freezing.

These locations are known by he community as “Spring Spots”

One such location is the Khromatos Estate, where the climate around the main hall is the regular cold, but the rest of the buildings around it have a shared “Spring Spot”

The island is connected to the main land of Solitas via two bridges.

Both of the bridges have smaller sections of the Kingdom at the other ends of them, kind of like small villages.

There’s a section of the island on a map where it appears there is a lake, this is located just behind a short mountain of which the Khromatos Estate sits upon, and is actually a drop into a cave that is connected to the ocean.

This cave is an abnormally warmer climate area compared to the rest of Ventus’ “Spring Spots”. Some call it “The Summer Cave”.

“The Summer Cave” is known for being the only place that Ventus’ native creatures known as “Dralim”. 

“Dralim” are giant Glaucus Atlanticus which can grow to anywhere from 2-10 feet in length from end to end.

The Khromatos Estate is connected to this cave via a tunnel system within the mountain. The exit is hidden and sealed off behind a fake wall.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Kingdom is able to reach “Summer Cave” via a large staircase that travels along the wall down to the ground around the water.

Ventus has a small scale navy of half a dozen water-bound vessels that are manned by a minimum of 30 specially trained soldiers at any given time, but can carry a total of 100 persons with ease. 

These ships patrol ‘round the island in 12 hour shifts, three of them out during the day, the other three at night, watching for any ships from other kingdoms or any incoming Grimm.

Whenever a set of three ships are not on their patrol they return to shore and dock to allow the crew to relax.

The ships are refueled once a week.

[thefugitivesaint]

John William Waterhouse (1849-1917),  'Circe Invidiosa',  1892 “Angus Trumble , who describes the painting as "one of the most remarkable images of the femme fatale in Victorian art," contrasts this painting to the earlier Circe Offering the Cup to Ulysses: "He sharpened the emotional focus of the subject by removing all unnecessary accoutrement and choosing instead to concentrate upon the raw, supernatural power with which the sorceress ensnares an unwitting rival. The Homeric character of Circe is in this case mediated by a Latin poet, Ovid (Metamorphoses, Book 13: 730ff; 13: 1ff). Having tried without success to lure the deity Glaucus away from the object of his affection the beautiful nymph Scylla, Circe is filled with envious rage. In the seclusion of a quiet grotto, she poisons the water where Scylla goes to bathe and turns her rival into a dreadful sea monster. Waterhouse's handling of the scene is brilliantly economical. With grim determination, Circe empties a bowl of green poison into the waters, have hovering, half standing on the already transformed Scylla, who writhes beneath the surface. Her waist-length hair, meanwhile billows up and out, as if disturbed by a rush of deadly vapours" Source: http://www.victorianweb.org/painting/jww/paintings/6.html

[fandomgamesfourcaesar]

An Exciting Day

Well, it looks like we had five Tribute deaths today! Five of them!

Four were up in the northeast corner of the Arena. Gabriel left Scoop and was suspiciously present when there was a fire in the Revenant headquarters in Glaucus Lodge, killing Ewan, before confronting Islington in the underworld sets. Meanwhile, we found out that Brax has been hiding in a series of cliff dwellings, where Croup and Vandemar ended up getting killed. Where did Gabriel and Brax go after that?

Across the Arena, Spencer, the Doctor, Ryan, Margot, and Jules spent time at the Captain’s Cove Amusement Park. No matter how hard Ryan and Jules tried, they couldn’t save Margot from a malfunctioning roller coaster. What happened to their little group?

And what’s going on with our other Tributes?

This has been a commentary from Caesar Flickerman. May the Odds be Ever in Your Favor.

[secret-engima]

Imagine Besithia deciding that Sylva being involved with parenting Prompto means that he is now kinda-step-father to Ravus and Luna though. He would be so panicked! Besithia to Glaucus: How do you step-parent! I've only just worked out science-parenting, and that still 90% guess-work! What if they hate me? What if I'm the evil step-parent?! I don't want to be evil, I'm okay with mad not evil! Can I be mad-scientist step-parent, is that a thing?! Glaucus:... Sylva: aww...

Awwwww yesss.

Besithia: I am step-parent???? How do I step-parent?? I’ve only just learned to PARENT. Halp!!!!!!!

Glaucus is a Sigh, and then he notices how Besithia’s well meaning (if slightly crazy) attempts to Parent Ravus and Luna are highly endearing to Queen Sylva and then he’s an internal Scream.

Sylva meanwhile is ... touched. Most people who want her hand flatter her, woo her, try to cozy up to the kids and it’s all very obvious what they really want is just power and influence. But Besithia ... doesn’t care about that. At all. He’s the pet scientist of the king’s brother, the tutor of the king’s son and technically dad to the king’s NEPHEW. He has no need for power.

But there he is, teaching Ravus and Luna the wonders of Science™ and making exploding soda volcanos with them, all with a big grin on his face as he slowly inducts the Oracle children into the Nerd Group he has going with Prompto and Ignis and Noctis (who doesn’t get Science that well but likes to cheer from the sidelines). And it’s so CLEAR he’s doing it out of an earnest attempt to fill the parent roll he seems to insist is his duty as the dad of her youngest child and ... it’s adorable to her. Charming even.

Ardyn, from the sidelines, is shipping these two So Hard™.

[kamcosmetics]

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[totesmccoats]

Doomsday Clock #1

We open in Watchmen’s New York, on November 22nd, 1992; which is 25 years to the day before this comic’s release, and also the week that Superman #75 – the Death of Superman – was released. A mob gathers outside the business headquarters of Adrian Veidt, the world’s smartest, and now most wanted man, for his orchestration of the “alien” attack on New York City that resulted in over three million dead and thousands more physically injured.

The hoax revealed, the fragile peace it ushered in rapidly collapses as Russia begins an invasion of an ununited Europe; North Korea expands their nuclear capabilities to match the rearmament of other nuclear states; and the President of the United States, Robert Redford, is too busy golfing to properly respond. Dozens of media voices in the US are replaced by one Schutzstaffel logoed National News Network that prepares people for a righteous nuclear war.

Amid this chaos, Rorschach breaks out two criminals, Marionette and her partner, Mime, from prison to bring them to his new partner – Ozymandias, who again tries to cure the world, this time by bringing back its Superman.

And, in a distant land, a Superman wakes up from a nightmare.

Whether or not you think this story is a good idea, you have to admit that this issue makes a strong argument for itself. The issue echos Watchmen in the same ways Watchmen echos, well, itself; presented it’s separate threads as thematic and visual reflections of each-other. Rorschach unlocks a prisoner’s cage, releasing them; just as soldiers key into a nuclear console, unleashing armageddon.

Geoff Johns may be the only person capable of picking up Watchmen, given that his personal superpower as a writer has been his reverence of old comic stories, and ability to weave their threads into new patterns and expand them into larger universes. He’s basically doing to Watchmen’s character what he’d previously done with Barry Allen and Hal Jordan. And while Johns is an incredible talent in his own right, he’s aided by his ability to match Alan Moore’s style of dialogue; particularly in his writing of Rorschach, who switches between gorey purple-prose in his narration, and article-less laconism in his speech.

Gary Frank is a perfect artist for matching Dave Gibbons’ detail heavy illustrations, giving the book a texture and shadow-heavy tone that conveys the anxiety and dread of its world. Where the resemblance breaks is with Brad Anderson’s colors, which are more realistic and understated than John Higgins’ brightly saturated pop-art aesthetic.

Doomsday Clock’s biggest achievement so far is that, against all expectations, it fits. Johns wrote a story that, so far, makes sense as a sequel to Watchmen, and manages to infuse it with the same political resonance and thematic weight to today as the original had in the 80s.

  Batgirl #17

Then: Batgirl and Robin close in on the Mad Hatter, and rescue Ainsley from his control; and Dick keeps Barbara from crossing a line.

Now: Batgirl and Nightwing close in on the Red Queen, who has a few more tricks up her sleeve, including giant nanobots, and bringing Nightwing under her control.

I really enjoyed this entire Dick/Babs story, and this issue gives both timelines a really strong ending. The “then” timeline gives the two a solid shared experience for their relationship to start from; a time where they both needed to rely on the other to get through something incredibly taxing, physically, and mentally, but mostly emotionally. And in the present, the two work on a case recalls all those same emotions and have to rely on each-other in many of the same ways. As George Lucas might say, “it rhymes.” And Wildgoose’s art perfectly captures both the couple’s intimacy, and their emotional distance, in the two’s body language. If you’re a fan of Dick/Babs, this is a story that should be in your collection.

  Wonder Woman #35

Wonder Woman’s brother – Jason! Who he is, and how he came to be!

Glaucus begins the tale of raising Jason, Diana’s secret brother; from the day that he discovered his powers until the day Jason wouldn’t need him anymore. And from that point, Jason takes over, telling of how, even though he kept his powers a secret from the world and the mythic figures who would look for him, they found him anyway.

The most interesting part of this otherwise typical origin story is how it riffs on the familiar stories of Superman discovering and training his powers – particularly the version told in Man of Steel. Like Clark in that movie, Jason is told by his adoptive father to keep his powers hidden so that he wouldn’t be hunted for them. But, hewing a bit closer to Wonder Woman’s own origin, Glaucus does ask Hercules to train Jason, realizing that if his powers are only going to grow, he should learn how to use them, even if he shouldn’t.

Once Jason takes over narration, he tells of how hiding his powers created a hole in his life that he couldn’t quite identify until he saw how his sister – Wonder Woman – was using her powers to help people.

Unfortunately, Jason’s story ends on a cliffhanger, which means that we’re dedicating at least two issues of Wonder Woman completely to the history of this completely new, and relatively unimportant dude. Superhero comics really doesn’t need any more riffs on this origin story. We’ve seen it all, in almost every possible permutation – and we especially don’t need it taking up room in a Wonder Woman book. Also, who are Glaucus and Jason even talking to? They’re supposedly in completely different places, so…how is this even supposed to work? And if they aren’t “talking” to anyone, then why is Glaucus’ narration written phonetically?

  The Flash #35

Meena steals the Negative-Speedforce from Flash, and explains that she’s loyal to Black Hole because they’re the ones who saved her when Godspeed pulled her into the Speedforce when Barry had already written her off as dead. Then she escapes back to Black Hole’s labs, where she meets with Black Hole’s true leader – Raijin, God of Lightning.

Meanwhile, Barry and Wally finish off the rest of the Black Hole troops at the demolition derby, agreeing to work better in tandem to explore the real potential of the Speedforce to better combat Meena and Black Hole.

Kristen continues her investigation into Central City’s new crimelord at Iron Heights when she’s interrupted…

After Flash drops Wally off at home, where Wally comforts Iris; he gets a call from Warden Wolfe – there’s been a murder at Iron Heights.

This issue is an improvement over the last one, which mainly rehashed a bunch of information we already knew; but is still very exposition heavy, and does more work in introducing new plot questions than it does in making progress along already set-up plot threads. The issue’s biggest development is a return to status-quo, Barry’s got his usual powers back. Everything else is pretty much the same: Iris still needs her space from Barry; Barry and Wally are still repairing their relationship; Black Hole and the new Central City crimelord are still at large.

  Nightwing: The New Order #4

Kate Kane and the Crusade discover that Jake isn’t just immune to the power-neutralizer, his biology actively fights against it, making him that much more of a threat to the current world order.

Dick wakes up in the Titan’s secret headquarters, surrounded by Starfire, Beast Boy, Cyborg, (Kid) Flash, and Lois Lane(?), who is a Blue Lantern now. It’s not the sweetest of reunions, with there still being a lot of bad blood between Dick and the Titans, who are outlaws under the new system Dick ushered in. But, even if nothing else, they can agree on rescuing Jake – especially after their man on the inside reveals that Jake can possibly reverse everything.

And here’s where this story goes full X-Men. We got the ad-hoc family with interpersonal conflicts, the one mutant who can cure everything, the government oppressors; the whole shebang, really. Honestly, I never got into the X-Men, nor the Titans, but a good template’s a good template; and this story’s pulling it off, even if it’s really dropped the ball on some of the more resonant themes of systemic persecution in favor of more of a rescue the POW vibe.

  Black Panther #167

Shuri retrieves Dr. Franklin from a maximum security prison, legally, and brings him to Wakanda to continue their investigation into Klaw’s return. While he’s busy with that, Shuri leads T’Challa into the Djalia to learn more about Wakanda’s mythic history and the Originators. What he learns disturbs him. The Wakandans were not the native people of their land, and they did not take it peacefully.

Oofa-Doofa. This may be the heaviest reveal of Coates run so far, but one that plays directly to his strengths. Wakanda was built on genocide, their gods made as literal weapons against the native Originators. And now T’Challa, who has already recently made so many decisions to make his country – the most powerful in the world – more democratic; has to decide what to do after confronting his country’s original sin.

Basically, if you haven’t read Coates’ Case for Reparations, I suggest you do before the next issue.

  Snotgirl #8

It’s the boy’s issue!

Sunny wakes up from a weird dream where Charlene gives birth to a green puppy, and goes to meet Ashley at the sports club before he marries Meg. While the two attempt to bond over Squash, Ash tells Sunny that he’d like to bang Lottie before he marries Meg, which really gets under Sunny’s skin.

After Squash, Virgil, who’s up to something accidently walks in on the two in the locker room and gets all hot and bothered.

Ash and Sunny continue to the showers, and Ash will not shut up about sex and girls and how much he wants to bang Lottie. It’s really gross, and even Sunny wonders if he can keep up this hang-out much longer.

Meanwhile, Lottie is bored and alone, and makes it worse by texting her friends randomly; and when she runs out of those, she texts Detective John Cho – who instantly responds because he’s also thirsty for Lottie.

Later, John happens to join Sunny and Ash in the sauna, where he reveals that he’s been friends with Sunny since they were kids. Ash asks everyone about their kinks, because he’s gross as heck, and John reveals he also has a thing for girls with green hair. At this, Sunny finally loses his cool and gets into a short fight with Ash, at least until their towels fall off and it gets too weird.

Getting home, Sunny finally checks his texts.

This issue is just as meandering as usual, but the change in perspective is nice. We’re finally in the head of someone sane as opposed to Lottie’s addled narcissism. The issue is also a great look into the phenomena of “locker room talk,” in that it frames that sort of behavior as just as bad and gross even in a locker room. And to his credit, Sunny eventually does stand up for his girls instead of letting boys be boys.

AND OH BOY IS THIS ISSUE HOMO AF. Just…all the sweaty muscle boys talking about their “zords”!

Comic Reviews 11/22/17 Doomsday Clock #1 We open in Watchmen’s New York, on November 22nd, 1992; which is 25 years to the day before this comic’s release, and also the week that Superman #75 - the Death of Superman - was released.