#he cannot be killed in a way that matters

[srslylini]

The way season 1 ended she was at a point so low she was ready to blow up a city (and like she did, she blew up the council). The start of season 2 showing her cathartic wasn't actually bad I liked that direction. It felt like they wanted to show her in a "nothing state" which depression also feels like.

they showed her as not caring about anything anymore (literally just walking through every scene in the music video sucker while everything just HAPPENS around her). The meeting with Isha, while still being a little bit odd since it felt like well they randomly put them together but that's something you can overlook, was amazing. She still just didn't care, played with her life.

Her reaction to seeing her sister being an enforcer? Gut punching. Extremely painful. The fight with her STILL being more in a nothing like state, just shooting the dude with her back turned to him felt very s1 which is good because again, Jinx in the end was like??? done.

and then.... act 2 happened. Suddenly they used Jinx's mental state as a Plot device. In season 1 it would ruin missions and her freaking out would happen no matter if "the plot needed it or not" if you get what I mean? The first mission we see on screen? fucked up because Jinx lost control. This happens throughout the first season, it doesn't just come when ever the writers need it to happen.

In season 2 it does. Suddenly in situations that should freak her out she doesn't. Suddenly they use it as a plot device. Why was she very calm and relaxed upon meeting Vander as warwick with Vi? Why did she not freak out when Vi and her fought in the mines?

Do we all remember what happened in season 1 episode 3? And how Jinx immediately lashed out as soon as a fight occured? What happened? Also why was she suddenly so very chill with Enforcers in act 2 and beyond? The joke with the Enforcer and her god damn fucking pants was so out of place I cannot even handle to think about it anymore. The fight with Warwick was good and I liked that in the end they again showed that she is ready to kill herself, at least there is continuity here but that is also never addressed and also... happens for Plot and plot only

it happens so warwick can see the bomb and so they can have him recognize her, like okay arcane writers? And then after that she is simply fine with her second father figure showing up again? You are telling me the girl who had such a mental break down last season over her sister returning would be absolutely fine and 🥺family🥺 upon seeing Vander? Where was the sense? Where was her having to deal with Silco and Vander in her mind? i don't WANT to see her tortured, duh, but they set that up and showed this happening to her in season 1, so this is just, I dont know, a plothole? You are telling me the same girl who blew up the council in s1, and like LOOK AT HER in that scene, is all cuddle cuddle with her past family whose death she always blamed herself for and was scared off?

Then Isha dying, and god do I have my problems with that but that's another thing, and THEN having Jinx never mention her again? Are you KIDDING ME? like it's not even just not mentioning her as much as it is just also Isha not appearing in her nightmares etc. That is NOT how they set Jinx up as a character. While the scene with Jinx in the prison with Silco turning up was chillingly heartbreaking it also didn't make sense if you take into account how they wrote her seeing things this season. In the one scene where she talked to Silco's chair she says he doesn't show up and then when she is in pain over Isha being caught suddenly he stands behind her? I mean maybe I missed something here but I literally sat there like huh.

In season 1 it happened not because it was needed but because it wasn't. As it should be. In this season it only happened when the Plot needed to move and that's just so incredibly weird to me. Especially cause I already saw people misinterpreting the Silco and Jinx prison scene. It was her subconscious telling her to kill herself not Silco trying to be "a positive influence".

And then or course, we have this tragic character Jinx. Who was shown to have a wish of death all throughout season 1 with how careless she was with her life (for example when she threw around the bombs in her hide out) and then throughout season 2 as well. Who saw a breath of life for a bit, taken from her.

To have a character like this ACTUALLY die by killing herself and then to paint it as a GOOD thing? This isn't a tragedy. This is straight up suicide glorification. I did not cry when I watched this scene, I did not feel sadness and grief. I was beyond mad and disgusted and might be for a long time to come.

I need more ppl to talk abt how awfully Jinx was treated this season. I am soooo angry and upset

[aingeal98]

Ambessa for all her manipulation and tactics is remarkably straightforward a person. Power and family are all that matter, you cannot protect your family without power. Mages have a power that threatens you, you must find a way to counter it. Your daughter is a mage, do not tell her. It will only put her in more danger. Hide her away, both out of love and necessity. Your son is asking too many questions. Don't tell him anything, it's safer that way. Mages took him, looking for your daughter, and kill him in the process. Is this proof that you handled things wrong? Perhaps but more importantly it's proof that you were right.

Your son is dead because they have power both he and you do not. Visit your daughter, secure your secret weapon, don't tell her anything. The mages are after you both because you will not stop chasing dangerous ways to counter them but how can you not? If you stop chasing the power of the arcane you give in, back down, accept you cannot best them. Your son died for nothing. Your daughter is alive and begging you to stop going down this road but it is the only way. She's a fool for not seeing that. You cannot choose her safety over power because taking risks and sacrifice for power is the only way to secure her safety permanently.

I do think Ambessa died satisfied. Her daughter proved to be powerful and determined enough to do what must be done. Her legacy and empire are secure, she has faith both she and Kino will be avenged by Mel. The fact that Mel never wanted any of this is irrelevant. It was the only way. Killing is a cycle and Ambessa would rather die than let Mel walk away from it.

[gay-mousebites-md]

THE BEST EPISODE OF MERLIN!!!

This is such simple story telling, a proper ghost story, lots of jump scares - and, like many horror genre stories, a strong queer subtext.

So, I'm currently getting to the end of Merlin and oh my god is it the gayest thing in the world, where was it when I needed it? Why didn't I watch it? It was literally on telly when I was being homophobically rejected by my family? I've always been an idiot, this is clear. Series 5, Episode 3, The Death Song of Uther Pendragon

“I will not allow you to destroy all that I have built! Camelot must come before all else. Even you.” — Uther to Arthur

This is what homophobic family rejection feels like. To your family, you are a destructive force. Your feelings are a demolition ball. Your peace and happiness means nothing. It is the family image, and the hopes and expectations of the parents that matters more then anything else. You must suffer in the dark. You cannot hope to see the light. It doesn't matter if you're still breathing.

The relationship between Arthur and Merlin in this episode felt like the closest we've seen yet - and this is just after they have fallen asleep in a net trap, with their faces squished together, so that's pretty darn close. (Let's not forget, they are 'more than friends, more than brothers'.) And as they demonstrate closeness, they are assailed by the ghost of Arthur's father. (It's homophobia, guys.) Arthur says repeatedly he has so many things he wanted to say to Uther, that he didn't get to say to him when he was alive. What are these unsaid things? These secrets? What does Arthur wish that Uther had known - and accepted? That he's a beautiful gay boy in love with Merlin? In the land of the dead, Uther does not allow Arthur to speak, but instead details his shame. He is talking about Gwen, but he says: "There are certain things that are more important than love." All of Arthur's actions have been made out of love - his decision to knight the unnoble, to marry 'beneath him' rather then make a strategic alliance. Uther says "How can I be proud of a son who ignores everything I taught him? Who is destroying my legacy?" Uther, over the course of the episode, makes it clear he would rather see Arthur dead before he allowed him the freedom and grace to follow his true will. (HOMOPHOBIA!!!)

Merlin's 'magic' (*wink*) is revealed to Uther - he is, true to form, appalled and repulsed by it. Uther Pendragon: You have magic? Merlin: [quivering with anger] I was born with it! Uther Pendragon: I made you Arthur's servant. You are a sorcerer? Merlin: Even while you were king, there was magic at the heart of Camelot! Uther Pendragon: I will not allow you and your kind to poison… Merlin: You're wrong. Uther Pendragon: …my kingdom! Uther remembers that it was he himself that gave Merlin access to Arthur in close quarters. I think the reading that to 'have magic' is to 'be gay' - a motif anchoring the show, resounds so strongly in this episode. And here, Uther continues in death to rage against allowing magical people to 'poison' the kingdom - in the way that homophobic rhetoric implies homosexuality can be inborn or acquired, but it always corrupts, seduces, pollutes and recruits. Uther is appalled that he positioned Merlin by Arthur's side, and opened him to this poison. Uther, like all ghosts, is vengeful. He has deep shame for the choices Arthur has made, and is making... Uther's attempts to hurt, maim or kill anything that is outside of his conservative approval... if that's not an allegory for homophobic parental rejection, I don't know what is.

Do you have magic? ARE YOU GAY!?

But this episode is bright! And funny! Merlin and Arthur are in each others pockets in this episode. They are always engaging in 'horseplay' but there is so much of it here. There is this act of boundary crossing that causes them both to pause.

ARTHUR: When do I hit you?

MERLIN: All the time.

ARTHUR: That's not hitting, Merlin, that's merely friendly slaps. It's horseplay.

MERLIN: So can I give you a 'friendly slap'?

ARTHUR: You can certainly try.

MERLIN grabs one of Arthur's leather gloves and thwacks him on the back of the head with it. His face is one of immediate regret.

ARTHUR: (Amused) What the hell was that?

MERLIN: It was, um, horseplay.

ARTHUR: No, Merlin, you're doing it all wrong. Why don't I show you? "WHY DON'T I SHOW YOU?"!!!!!!!!!! There is no heterosexual explanation for this one, boys:

There's rough horseplay. There's also tenderness. Arthur can't get enough of Merlin 'teaching him poetry'.

Sir Leon: I'll leave you to your poetry, then, my Lord. Arthur: Poetry? That's the best you could come up with? Merlin: What did you want me to say? Arthur: I don't know. Something that didn't make me sound like a love struck girl. Merlin, could you disguise our behaviour and our surprise, in a way that doesn't position me as 'love struck' and in a reversed gender role? Not today! Subtle as a brick.

And I am LIVING for the moment Uther, positioned between Arthur and Merlin, is forcibly sent back to the land of the dead. In true Merlin style, it is both comedic and devastating. Uther shouts 'MERLIN HAS...!!' before disappearing in a gasp. It's like he's pathetically shouting 'GAYLORD!' as Arthur blows his (own) trumpet and in doing so, drowns him out, and removes him as an obstacle in the way of Merlin. And then Arthur and Merlin are panting and in tears together. I think it is impossible to go through homophobic parental rejection and not be moved by this moment. I was in tears with them ... and laughing! This is a great show.

10 out of 10. I don't know how this thing ends (well, I've read the Thomas Malory...) but this episode alone is one of the best TV things I've seen.

[maodear]

This is me yapping about alien stage to its fullest. I Mostly yap abt round 7 and the video All-in

Till is alive. I think. Because in the end of round 7, his little stupid picture flicks. And his earpiece that probably tracks his heart rate ((checking on his breathing probably??) fell out. So that’s why it flickers since the alien doesn’t know if he’s still alive or not.

SO. HYUNA & MIZI CAN GRAB HIS ASS AND RUN AWAY. ((And I guess Luka too..)

Though realistically, I think Till will survive due to him having such a big role in alien stage. I don’t think Vivinos is THAT evil to let him die, if Ivan already sacrificed himself.

But I do think that Hyuna and Luka will definitely go against each other. (Or what if Till survives and goes against Mizi or smth.. and Hyuna goes against Luka. ???) because 3 is a odd number. (Yeah I didn’t know) Having 3 go against each other would be difficult. Why have 3 when you could get 4? And two more bonus rounds am I right? ((Please leave till alone. He’s my son. Yes I am his mom. Canon.)

Mizi and Hyuna will definitely get captured. No way they will be able to get out of a stage. FILLED with aliens all round. No way. Unless Dewey & Issac bomb the whole place and happy ending.

One of the most anticipated to happen is Hyuna and Luka going against each other. Maybe finally would Luka will show fear? And crack his “perfect” appearance. I would love to see him break because of Hyuna.

As much as I love Hyuluka. It cannot work, because Luka (maybe?) killed Hyunas brother. I have no idea how Hyuna could possibly forgive him.

Unless.. he didn’t? ((Which he probably did but let me cook. I want some hope.)

((Yes he probably did. But I want to put this theory somewhere)

In Hyunas All-in video, during the flashback to the Hyun-woo and Luka “fight” Luka was bleeding from the side of his head,but when looking at Hyun-woo’s hand. He had no blood on his hand? What if the fight was started by Hyun-woo? Possibly since Luka was rather odd to Hyuna. I don’t think Luka would start a fight, due to his conditions. It doesn’t click in my mind for him to fight. What if Hyun-woo hit him on the rock first? I mean hyun-woo didn’t have any blood on his hand. The whole scene isn’t shown. We don’t el know what fully happened. Not saying Hyun-woo is in the bad AT ALL. If he did, then Luka for sure deserved it. And maybe a fight broke out. Causing Luka to kill Hyun-woo.

Luka probably wasn’t that old in that time. Most can be 15. At that age, no matter what. The feeling of killing is horrid. Yes maybe Luka did intend to hurt him. But not kill him. Has it been shown in comics. It did show that Luka and Hyun-woo would fight and Hyuna would break them up. I mean boys usually fight. Look and Ivan and Till.

I read a theory that said Luka might have PBA. Which causes you to laugh,smile or giggle in inappropriate situations. Even if you don’t truly find it funny or even if you’re actually horrified. 

And do remember that Heperu taught Luka to overcome Fear. Possibly he messed up Luka that much, to make him laugh or smile even if he is truly scared. (Which also explains why he is also shown trembling.)

No way am I saying Luka is innocent. He’s a bitch but I feel like people do forget that he is also a victim as everyone else. Alien stage is a fucked up show, which Vivinos will not let us be happy 😭 We can only be happy in the Actor Au..

[valar-did-me-wrong]

I'll answer about the "work Adar does to heal himself part" but first I believe noone said the choice/work needs to be done to become worthy to get healed by Nenya.

I believe me & the other person above were saying Nenya can't heal evil like that, you have to heal that evil inside you yourself. We were talking how Nenya can aid you in healing but it can't do the self searching, acceptance & repentance that healing involves. (Precisely why sauron won't have benefited from it)

And as someone said in another post related to this topic; which has suddenly replaced the celeborn hate of last month for some reason, Sauron has already had atleast 2 other people try & aid him in this matter since S1.

Diarmid gives him advice on how to move on and chose good everyday, that's how you get forgiven. Galadriel keeps on telling him in S1 how he should let go of the past & start anew. These characters have been trying to aid sauron but he did not listen to any of that. So why suddenly will he listen to Nenya's aid?

S2 shows how he chooses self deception instead of self searching & acceptance and greed & selfishness over repentance. He doesn't want to choose good so no power can redeem him yet.

As for Adar & his choices/work he puts to heal himself. I believe the first thing that differentiates him from Sauron & solidifies his eventual redemption is how they both treat the orcs.

Both Adar & Sauron are involved in the making of orcs.

Sauron treats them as lowly, inferior creatures whom he sees as so unworthy that they are just disposable slaves to him, despite being his own creations; albeit flawed.

Adar on the other hand, sees their existence & suffering, knows his involvement in it & instead of hating it & them along with it he chooses to love them, fight for them & try to break the cycle of abuse that perpetuates their plight.

Looking at your mistake, accepting it as a mistake & still not hating the outcome of it is an act that requires self searching & acceptance, it doesn't appear in a vaccum.

This is choosing to do good (not hate beings that did not have any say in their doomed, violent fate & instead try and make their lives easier)

This doesn't erase his crimes against the southlanders but those crimes also don't erase his genuine love for his children. 2 things can be true at once, this show is beautiful in its complexity this way!

Then there are passing instances of choosing to do good on which the show doesn't focus too much but they exist. Like not humiliating & torturing Galadriel in the orc camp like she does with him in S1 & trying to forge an alliance with elves in his fucked up way before the siege.

The show has been sowing the seeds of Adar's redemption ever since the first scene he was in in S1, where he kills one of his children to ease their suffering, which again the show has been consistent with showing his intentions are good but his ways are fucked up.

Which those ways will remain fucked up till Nenya basically does to him what Diarmid & Galadriel in S1 do for Sauron imo.

This is why it actually isn't right to blame showrunners, writers & Galadriel for Sauron's lack of redemption, when Nenya or anything other than Sauron himself cannot heal him of evil.

S1E1 of ROP sets up the theme of "Nothing is evil in the beginning"

This is a true to life imo & nuanced take on evil.

The show expands on it by showing us Sauron in his repentance phase where he is trying to return to his beginnings when he was still good.

S2E1 gives us the theme of the season "To be forgiven one needs to choose good everyday"

Again a very nuanced take on goodness, individual responsibility & willpower.

The show expands on it by simultaneously showing us Adar & Sauron starting on the same side & choosing different paths in the end.

This season shows us Sauron not choosing good, actively harming others and letting his decisions be based on greed & selfishness.

While Adar who's character's evil side was already established in Season 2 with the abuse of Southlanders gets his origins & motives fleshed out and then gets presented with the choice where he chooses good.

This show puts a lot of effort into nuances, complex topics like the cycle of abuse and dark characters that are very human & grounded in reality.

To imply that Magic Ring = Evil Eraser in a show like this imo diminishes the hardwork put into it & all its characters who have their own minds, motivations & challenges. (the very things we praise ROP Galadriel for having)

[kutputli]

It kills me how those stans and even "normal" iwtv fans are like "stop being mean to SR!!!!" and we're over here talking about racism 😭 He is sitting pretty with his golden globe fyc whilst iwtv stans plug their eyes and ears to the racism behind it. I haven't seen even a fraction of the concern for Assad who has to go to set every day knowing his employer places his white costars above him no matter how outstanding he is. And I'm sure they will be completely normal if/when SR doesn't get nominated. Lots of "see, you guys were acting up and being meanies to our beloved prince for nothing!" coming our way when him not being nominated won't change anything because it's always first and foremost been about AMC's racism for us

So confession: me and the mutuals have a community where we often enjoy being mean about SR.

You know why that's perfectly fine?

Because we have no structural power over him! We don't take it to any of his socials, we don't even intrude into any fannish tags!

AMC is not a fan! AMC is a for-profit corporation with immense structural power over Assad Zaman - a young South Asian actor who has just got his first possible breakout role!

AMC being racist to Assad cannot compare in any shape or form to fans 'being mean' to Sam. Even if it was fans rolling up in his socials (which DO NOT DO OBVS) to tell him he wasn't all that, it would still not compare with your workplace supervisors telling you that your white colleague who did much less work than you deserved an award and you didn't.

People really need to understand that acting is a profession and media making is an industry and the same standards of equitable treatment that apply to any workforce apply to shows they love.

[emmersonisdesperate]

Jegulus, platonic Prongsfoot, BAMF James; a brainrotted rant

We have Sirius Black who acknowledges the injustice half-bloods and muggleborns face and is very vocal about it. He means it in a "no, purebloods aren't better, none of you are special, what are y'all on abt" and he doesn't hesitate to belittle the past years of wizarding history which obviously pisses off other pure blood families as well as his own.

He wants to see muggle Borns and half-bloods actually have rights and be treated equally, he doesn't want to see them killed off or discriminated for their blood status.

Does this mean he has ethics and morals? Yeah no, he wouldn't HESITATE using blood magic, dark magic and other violent, threatening means and especially, in order to protect his loved ones. Your blood status doesn't matter if you choose to cross him.

This makes him an eyesore to both the light and dark sides. His unflinching attitude to bloodshed and would sometimes, crave for it? His affinity with dark magic? He must be just like them, a true Black! His dismissive comments about wizarding history, he protectiveness over a certain blood traitor? He must be like them then, a blood traiter Black!

Then we have Regulus Black, the now-heir to the Black Family. The one with real political power.

Unlike his brother, Regulus does not give two shits about muggle rights. They could get killed off left and right when he is quite literally able to stop the carnages yet he would have no guilt, no remorse. Also unlike Sirius, he actually does care about the wizarding history. He cares that the Black family does not fall into shit, that the wizarding traditions aren't lost to time.

The dark pure blood society would sigh in relief. Finally, a sane one! They'd think he was one of them, that he had their interests in mind. The light side wouldn't be surprised. He was a Black, what else could you expect? Even though they haven't heard any bloody history like his brother, they cannot help but raise their guard around him. Because they know he's capable of murder (he's not, he's actually very weak-hearted, but he wants the others to think of him that way)

Except, like his brother, Regulus doesn't care about purebloods either. They mistake his speeches about protecting wizard traditions and the glory of the Black family and believe it would extend to them. It does not, because like his brother, he only cares about his loved ones. The Malfoys, the Lestranges and the Notts could all rot, but his precious family must stay alive and healthy.

When they realize Regulus doesn't use his power for their interest, they start turning their backs on him as well. Not that it matters, the family can stand in their own feet. He frankly does not give a shit if the light side or the dark side have no place for him. Sirius doesn't either.

Because they only care about what James Potter thinks of them.

Sirius, who can very easily resort to murder or torture and somehow avoid prison (ignore canon) and Regulus, who has enough political power and leverage that he could shape the wizarding world, both of them are whole-heartedly devoted to one James Potter.

And what does James want? He wants justice and a righteous world. He wants the pure blood families to have their history and legacies preserved. He wants muggle Borns and half-bloods to have fair lives. He wants criminals who get away with horrible crimes to face proper punishments. But most of all, he wants Sirius and Regulus, the brothers that have captured his whole heart to be with him, safe and happy.

So Sirius does make sure anyone James considers criminal faces proper punishments. Whether this is done legally with his Aurors position or not so legally. As long as James, the other pair of his soul, puts a man in front of him and says 'hunt', he'd do it. He'd do anything.

So Regulus does push for muggle friendly acts, blocks any self serving pureblood laws and places importance on persevering traditions. He doesn't care, but for the light and love of his life, he'd do anything. (Including covering Sirius's tracks, even if he thinks his brother should rot in jail, but oh well, love comes first)

The wizarding world remains ignorant of how powerful James really was, to have Regulus and Sirius, two powerful forces wrapped around his fingers, all very eager to play into his whims

Lol could you imagine how chaotic this can be.

[chickenbyday]

99 + Jeanneil please :)

Hi hun! This one was sort of out of my comfort zone but I hope you enjoy whatever this raven!neil au is.

It's almost four hours until morning practice is supposed to start, but the way this is going, Jean thinks they'll both be lucky if they manage to patch Nathaniel up before their alarm is supposed to go off. 

"I think this is a new record," Nathaniel says as Jean carefully pulls the stitch together. "I'm almost impressed by how creative he's getting. His dedication would make my father proud." 

Jean says nothing, but he does pause to send him a sharp glare that settles him down a bit, and Nathaniel winces apologetically. 

Jean isn't angry, exactly, because that's a feeling that he squashed long before he made it to this godforsaken place, but whatever heat lingering in his chest is bringing back memories of a past life that he does not even think he remembers. 

"Hey," Nathaniel says softly, the rasp of his voice deafening in the quite of their room. "I'm sorry."

Jean scoffs. "You are not." He does not have any right to be, especially for this. 

"No," he agrees, still too soft. "But I wanted to say it to you anyway." 

Jean shakes his head hard enough that the spot on his neck where there are still teeth marks twinges. "Don't." Do not let him kill you, Jean wants to say, but neither of them have control over that, as much as Jean likes to blame it on his propensity for mouthing off. 

"Okay," he says, not quite defeated but giving it it's best shot. Jean ignores him, looking pointedly down at the skin he's still trying to suture. the cut isn't clean enough for it to come out pretty when all is said and done, but Jean is well practiced enough that it doesn't matter. 

When he finishes, he doesn't look away, because he cannot see what Nathaniel's face is doing right now, what he might be thinking. How dare he be sorry. How dare he. 

Jean has not truly cried in since his first six months of being in the nest, but the burning behind his eyes in a way that he hopes does not pour over. 

"Hey," he says again, and Jean reluctantly drags his gaze up to meet his eyes. "Don't look at me like that." 

Jean doesn't glare again, but it's a near thing. Nathaniel brings his hands to his face cupping his cheeks in his palms. Jean cannot stop himself from leaning into it, just a bit, and closing his eyes. 

"Do not get yourself killed," He says, quiet and damning all the same, and Nathaniel's gaze turns icy and sharp. 

"I won't," he says, and when he leans in and lets their lips meet, Jean can almost pretend that he believes him. 

[writing-for-life]

100% this, @embervoices

That’s why I joked about superhero power-scaling above, because that’s pretty much it:

You really can’t look at it from an angle of, “Who’s more powerful on an absolute scale?”

Dream cannot die as long as there are dreamers (on a related note: that thought also helps for the Sandman main run if people struggle with the ending), because Dream is a cosmic concept.

But Morpheus can die, as one aspect/viewpoint/anthropomorphic personification of said concept. But even that’s hard to do (not impossible though, because it also happened to Despair).

Could Lucifer kill Morpheus? Probably (!) yes.

Could Lucifer kill Dream? No, absolutely not. Unless he kills all sentient life that dreams, absolutely everywhere. And that would need to include himself. Bit Rube Goldberg again, slight (literal) overkill if you ask me.

Could Dream kill Lucifer? Probably not outright, no.

Could he kill him through a loophole though? Probably yes? But it would be convoluted and tricky—pretty much that Overture/cat-situation again.

And here I am, sitting and thinking, “Murph, there must be more than 1,000 staunch atheists you could get on your side to snuff out both the Presence and Lucifer in one go.”

To which he would answer, “Sure sure, but why would I? It is not the order of things, and even asking is against the rules: There is nothing big enough at stake for me to consider this. Now shush, go back to sleep, mortal…”

Could Dream make Lucifer really miserable though? Yes. Especially if he puts a finger in that open wound called pride (funny that they are quite similar in so many ways). And he did. But there are probably even more ways he could make him really uncomfortable, because Lucifer does hope and dream.

Could Lucifer make Morpheus really miserable? Also yes. I mean, he did, but in a way he also didn’t because Morpheus managed to paint himself into that corner all by himself—Lucifer just offered him a paintbrush while at the same time saying, “You know, it doesn’t matter if you decide to walk out over the fresh paint and leave a few messy footprints—who even fucking cares?” To which Morpheus replied deadpan, “I do…”

Alright chaps, time to discuss, 'cause canon isn't quite clear on this one (or if it is, I was too dense to get it):

How is it explained that Lucifer is more powerful than Dream, when the Endless are above deities in the universal hierarchy, and Lucifer was created by a god?

Or is it less universal hierarchy related and more to do with the kind of power Lucifer wields (offensive? Destructive, arguably, although I like to see it more as productive power in the foucaulatian sense) vs that of Dream's (more passive? Defensive? Although we know he too is a warrior who fell gods).

What do y'all think?

[zephemeral]

Do you think when he dies, his eyes hit pause?

[shannonsketches]

[gingermintpepper]

hi I love your tags so so much! they were so sweet and so interesting and creative and the whole Aphrodite type of beauty thing sounds really interesting do you have any articles and recommendations to read further into it??

-hogoflight

Hello my fine feathered (I am assuming possession of feathers if you are, indeed, capable of flight) @hogoflight! I'm always always happy to hear that people appreciate my frenzied rambling in the tags :D! I have a lot of articles and recommendations :D!! Ancient Greek notions of beauty and representations of it in their art and sculptures is a pretty well studied topic! There isn't any way for us now to know definitively what the beauty standard was (it varied widely from region to region and culture to culture after all) but here are a couple of my favourite reads about Aphrodite and what her representations tell us about idealised beauty!

Probably the most empirically extensive one I can list is Krönström's thesis which compares statues of Aphrodite and literary text referring to both the goddess and mortal women to determine physical ideals for women in five specific eras of Grecian antiquity. Including measurements of the statues there are many descriptions of Aphrodite as 'curvy' with a 'voluptuous figure' and with 'ample buttocks and bosom'.

"When the beauty traits are described in the texts, they are never extreme or anything that could not be found in normal people just that they are more beautiful in every aspect. Furthermore, the sculptures’ physical forms look healthy, they are tall and have distinct curves. Great examples of this are the Knida sculpture and de Milo (the Melian) sculpture."

Of course, these images are still idealised, and there was still a concept such as 'too fat' or 'too skinny' found in written records (and this thesis even includes analysis of pornographic writings and descriptions of the fashion and stylings of pubic hair of women from different regions!!) but from an interpretational standpoint? There is absolutely no reason why these can't refer to a fuller figure. Height was also a very important factor after all and over the course of many eras, it seems like being well proportioned in addition to the length and appearance of one's hair were the most important factors (and, like Apollo, greater beauty was given to those with curlier hair)

Mireille M. Lee's 'Other Ways of Seeing' essay which talks about the forgotten female viewers of Knidian Aphrodite which is also extremely illuminating on how Aphroditic sexuality and sensuality was perceived totally differently from the well documented male voyeuristic gaze (which was overly preoccupied with the statue's nakedness and therefore over-sensationalised the statue's physical appearance) vs women's perspective on the statue which is more centered on the beauty of simplicity in Aphrodite's garment and decoration and in her power and ability to captivate both in her finery and without it. I think it's especially useful in exploring the importance of finery, jewellry and adornment in representations of Aphroditic beauty.

"Some of the small-scale copies are heavily jeweled, especially those from the eastern Mediterranean, for example the Hellenistic gilded terracotta statuette in the Çanakkale Museum (Fig. 5) in which the goddess wears, in addition to the armband on her (right) arm, the following: a necklace with multiple pendants; cross-bands extending over both shoulders and hips, with a cascading pendant in the center; a coiled snake armband on the left arm and another snake on her left thigh, and a twisted anklet on her right leg. (The left leg has been restored, and might also have featured an anklet.)"

"Jewelry is especially associated with Aphrodite in Greek literature. As seen above, in the Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite, the goddess adorns herself with gold jewelry, dress-pins, and earrings in the shape of flowers (162–3)..."

Finally, and to me, the most important one in the argument for an interpretation of Hyacinthus as fat, beautiful and fundamentally Aphroditic comes from Brilmayer's brilliant brilliant thesis done on Aphrodite's work and influence in Archaic Greek Poetry which does away with all of that masculine preoccupation with physical proportion, measurement and bodily ideals for a focus on a Sapphic Aphroditic ideal centered in clothing, ornamentation and, most importantly cunning as symbols of Aphrodite and ultimately a feminine idealised form of beauty. This paper also discusses Pandora and Helen in these terms and it is just kind of a wonderful read tbh.

"Combining Homeric and Hesiodic elements with her own ideas, she [Sappho] alters the way female beauty is viewed. For example, the Homeric war chariot – a symbol of male, military prowess - comes to symbolise the totality of Aphrodite’s power uniting in itself male and female qualities. Having addressed the concept of beauty directly, Sappho then concludes that beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. With the help of Helen of Troy and her beloved Anaktoria, Sappho sets out to reinvent the concept of female beauty as a godlike, subjective quality that may be expressed in many ways, yet remains inspired by Aphrodite."

The conclusion to all of this of course is that Aphroditic ideal beauty is much more fluid compared to its stricter Apolline masculine standard. The nuances and understandings of both are of course, constantly being studied, analysed and scrutinised but really, if Dionysus who was both bearded and clean shorn, effeminate, birthed and rebirthed (and twice gestated!) and strongly associated with vegetation can be popularly portrayed as fat and handsome, why can't Hyacinthus?!

[ahalliance]

how do i turn qantoine’s spontaneous marriage proposal to qetoiles into evidence of his early-days fear of qfrench drifing away and keeping secrets from one another

[bacchuschucklefuck]

(chuckles) Im so good at reading comprehension and my meat is huge

[acridid-s]

Bloodborne's cut dialogue altered my brain chemistry

[forcedhesitation]

Man.

there's just something about the love between a woman whose impending death is inevitable and a man who's an immortal undead...