#his focus will always be on the victims more than the aggressors

[angstandhappiness]

INTERESTING ADDITION

Lukewarm take, because there's already technically a comic run about it:

Thomas and Martha Wayne would've hated Bruce becoming Batman. Not just because they would hate him putting himself in danger every night, but because they were strong advocates of reform, and helping the people of Gotham in non-violent ways. They used their money for reform-- they were trying to fix up Park Row before they died-- and Thomas helped anyone and everyone he could, despite their backgrounds.

They would've hated that Bruce runs around punching people and then causing some of the worst villains to appear, and then doing the bare minimum to stop them.

They would hate it even more that He did it in their name.

and they would absolutely be horrified that he brought children into his war, and that he needs children to stop him from going too far.

TLDR: When Bruce meets Thomas and Martha in the afterlife, Martha slaps Bruce in the face, and Thomas just sighs and goes, "You remembered all of us wrong after we died."

[six-paths-of-jeanmarco]

You wanna talk about Reiner, Jean and Marco?

Okay, let's talk about Reiner, Jean and Marco. Buckle up, there's a lot to talk about.

Disclaimer: this is not an anti post to any character or ship, quite the opposite. Read the whole thing before you jump to conclusions, thanks :)

Well, yes and no. First and foremost, the background. Jean and the rest of the cadets, while each had a goal, were training to defend what they thought to be all that was left of the human species. For 100 years, the walls protected them, but they were no longer secure. The military was humanity's last hope of survival. With these unimaginably high stakes always looming over them, the cadets ought to have developed a complex bond that would be very hard to put into words. Let's just say they were something more than just siblings in arms, and you could tell that. Throughout the series, you never get the impression that Jean and the others truly wanted to kill RBA. It also explains why Marco questioned Reiner and Bert about their conversation before he even realized he's made a mistake.

However, we also have to remember this scene. This happened not long after Marco's death. Realistically speaking, I don't see how Jean wouldn't have harboured a healthy amount of hatred in his heart. But it never overcame him because his grief over losing Marco was much stronger than his hatred for those who caused it.

He won't get his answers from Annie, but he could get them from Reiner after they captured him in Shiganshina. He convinced Hange to not execute him due to a mix of the aforementioned bond and his need to understand what truly happened to Marco and what were the shifters' true goals. And of course, because preserving one's life, even an enemy's, is in Jean's nature.

There's so much to unpack here, but first, let's focus on the idea that "the people who killed Marco were the same as Jean himself", which is a false equivalence supported by other false equivalences.

There's RBA's mission to commit straight up genocide against Paradis, and the raid of Liberio or Eren's plan to steal the War Hammer, ensure that the world hates Paradis, and use his friends as his escape route. Sure, the Scouts could have chosen not to aid Eren, let him be captured, lose the Founding Titan, and allow Marley to destroy them once and for all. Not a hard choice at all, right? The only thing that those two events have in common is the fact that the shifters were responsible for almost all of the casualties. In fact, as a commanding officer, Jean did everything in his power to avoid civilian casualties in Liberio. He even failed to kill Falco and Pieck.

Then there's Marco's murder and the clash with the Yeagerists. All I'm going to say about the former at this point is that Reiner had other options to keep Marco from endangering their mission other than killing him. But fundamentally speaking, the two situations share nothing in common. The circumstances that led to them happening, the power dynamics between the parties involved, the stakes, and the context itself makes them practically unrelated. The alliance had to leave the island or the Rumbling would have ended the world. The Yeagerists gave them no choice other than to fight them. Saying that Reiner and Jean are "the same" it's like saying a killer who murdered their victim is just as bad as a survivor who killed their aggressor in self defense. The killer could've chosen not to commit murder, whereas the survivor didn't have a choice. In this case, the world is the victim while the Yeagerists are complicit for interfering with the only people that could stop the Rumbling. Of course, that doesn't mean Jean shouldn't have felt anything after he killed his former comrades, he'd be ooc.

In fact, these aren't just my thoughts. Some of these points are made by Isayama himself:

Notice how Yelena frames the raid as a nation wide attack? Except, that's not what it was at all. The Scouts only attacked the internment zone while Eren and Armin ravaged it and the port of Liberio respectively, two locations in one of the thousands of cities an empire as large as Marley must've had. And they did so to prevent Marley from gaining the means that would've allowed them to destroy Paradis. As for what Reiner and Annie did to the walls and their people, Yelena's accusations are hitting the nail.

These issues are never properly addressed in the following chapters. Instead, they were used to lay the foundations for the "we're the same" fallacious dialogue. Isayama didn't have to throw every single Scout in the same gray soup as the Warriors since they've already proven to be complex characters in the previous arcs. His own writing didn't support it. Imo, that's why he failed in this regard.

The campfire scene is a highlight, that one thing is true. It's extremely important for Jean and Marco's relationship. Marco wasn't just Jean's most significant person throughout the series (aside from his mom), he was also his most significant loss. A wound in his very being.

Not knowing what truly happened to Marco, what were his last moments, was an open wound on its own. When Reiner finally confessed, Jean had the closure he'd thought he'd never get. Now he could start the long process of healing - partially, because such pain never truly goes away. You just learn how to live with it, and Jean already has plenty of experience in that field. I think this is a very powerful message, important too. Grief is not something inherently bad. It's up to you what you do with. You either allow it to consume you, or you hold it tight, you cherish it as a sign that what you had was real, still is real, you let it shape you into a better person, one that understands pain and wishes for no one to have to go through something similar. Jean is the latter, ever the kind-hearted man.

This should have been Jean and Marco's intimate moment, but Reiner intruded on it with his self-pitying babbling. There are lines that mustn't be crossed. That's when Jean snapped and attacked him. He didn't do anything after he learned the truth, just told Reiner to shut up, which he didn't do.

There's a glaring difference between Jean's reaction and what Reiner did after Marco overheard his discussion with Bert, what he did after Marco begged him to talk it over, to talk with him. He executed him like an animal; worse than that, he betrayed him, crushed his soul, denied him any chance of survival, left him behind for the titan to finish the job.

Marco was kind, understanding, supportive, good-natured, bright, forgiving, a true leader worth following. He wanted to serve the king because that's how he thought he could serve his people best (this is clearly inspired by the relationship the people of Japan had with their emperor before he renounced his divine status). Yes, he was also wrong about some things he didn't have the chance to understand as one of the early deaths. But Marco represented something we should all strive to be: a good human being.

On the other hand, Reiner strived to be a hero. Someone who'd wipe out all the devils. Someone driven by selfish ideals that have been shaped by prejudice and hatred. Only a monster would kill someone like Marco. As I said earlier, he had other choices to deal with him. He already broke his legs, so Marco would've been entirely dependent on his help to survive. Reiner could've coerced him to keep quiet or else Bert would kill everyone with his shifter ability, or even force him to aid Annie with gathering intel in the inner walls. Reiner knew Marco wasn't stupid, he would've complied with his demands, if not to save himself, at least to prevent a disaster. And yet, Reiner still chose to murder him, a choice that only a monster could make, a choice that would ruin his mental health, a choice that would turn him into a shell of a man.

If there's one character that is bound to Marco by trauma and guilt, it's Reiner. He was no hero as his story was written with the blood of his many victims. Killing Marco forced Reiner realize he was the monster all along, not the people he was sent to exterminate. Not the people he didn't see as people. His trauma was so egregious because he couldn't face this monster that would murder someone like Marco, - and once he did - because he couldn't stand this monster that was he. Quite ironic to say that Marco symbolizes naivety while the hero that never was was falling apart as the realization of what he did started to kick in. Hard.

Combined with this realization, that choice would make him do the right thing in the end. To me, this was the whole point of Reiner's character arc. To stress the idea that a single choice fueled by hatred has an unmeasurable weight and only leads to unthinkable consequences. It's about doing the right thing after constantly doing the wrong thing. It's about showing that there is no us vs them and that the dehumanization of the Other only leads to mass destruction and self destruction. Change is not impossible as long as you keep moving forward and you give meaning to pain and guilt. Unless you stand for nothing, kill for nothing, and then die for nothing, like Bert did. A literal representation of the quote "Apathy is death". Or end up as self-centered as Annie, to the point where you'll unapologetically say you'd do it all again. Instead of saying you'd try to change your actions. But Reiner did change. He joined forces with Jean and the rest because he was finally able to see them as what they always were: human beings whose lives are just as precious as all the lives in the world. And that his own life might still be worth something. Reiner hurt Jean far too deep to fully reconciliate, but they were no longer divided by hatred.

Take away the impact Marco had on him and you'd do Reiner a great disservice.

Jean could've also chosen to do some things different. He could've returned to the camp and kill Reiner and Annie in their sleep. Cut off their heads and return back to Paradis as a hero, and finally have the quiet life that he wanted, but he didn't. Or he could've stayed in that forest for the rest of his life, to hell with everyone else, but he didn't. It wasn't because Marco's expectations had him on a leash.

Learning the truth about what happened to Marco, learning his final words made him realize that he became a man worth Marco's timely praise. And that man would never let resent, revenge, or retribution turn him into a monster. He is a man that always chooses to do the right thing because he strives against his own demons, and Marco is the person who helps him choose this life.

It's not trauma nor guilt that keeps Jean and Marco connected, it's love, be it platonic or romantic. How can it be anything else? Marco gave him this moment:

And before this, Marco told him he's cut out to be a leader. Marco told him "I'm alive because of you". Marco made him smile for real. Do you know how much of an impact just a few words of encouragement can have on a 15 years old boy with low self esteem and no real purpose in life? He'll never forget them for as long as he lives, especially if they're coming from someone who means a lot to him. How can you take something as meaningful as that and turn it into something ugly? Marco gave him clarity.

Marco's neither a blessing nor a curse. Especially not the latter. This is how Jean remembers him four years after he had found his lifeless corpse:

Of all his fallen comrades, Jean only sees him. This is the face that Jean turns to in his darkest hours. The eyes that look back at Jean are soulful, kind, sincere, comforting. Marco's facial expression is warm and tender. You wouldn't tell this was a 16 years old boy who had died a most gruesome death.

It matters too little they don't have cameras in Paradis, no picture could reproduce Marco's image with as much love as Jean's mind does. And it matters that much when you think about how much symbolism there is in aot. None of this is coincidental at all.

Jean always turns to Marco for hope, for strength, for solace, and to remind himself of his own kindness, that in a world as cruel as that of aot, there's still love and there's still light, if not outside, then within.

Marco's no curse, no blessing, no symbol, he is just a boy whose words and actions had a great impact on those around him, especially on his best friend (and dare I say, soulmate) who misses him dearly. He left his mark on the plot and themes of aot, whether you want to acknowledge that or not.

Edit: Forgot to add this (my drafts are a mess):

I do agree that Jean saving Reiner's life is important. No, they could never go back to being friends. Who'd be friends with their best friend's murderer? I'll say it again, Reiner hurt Jean far too deep for them to ever fully reconciliate. Besides, Jean himself stated that he could never forgive him for what he did. The logic is sadly not logic-ing with this one. But that doesn't mean he cannot see Reiner as a human being. The difference between Reiner and Jean is that Jean always saw everyone as people.

It's important because it shows how far Jean has come. It's important because it shows how much truth was in Marco's words right from the beginning. Jean is humanity's best - not because he is flawless, far from it, but because this flawed man will always find the strenght to do what's right. Because when good men go to war, they don't see sides, not really, they see the horrors of their actions.

In a way, aot is Jean's story. And Reiner's. And Marco's. I still have plenty of criticism for this series, but the web of complex relationships between these three characters is one of the things that Isayama did right.

[babyrdie]

Gender roles, ethnicity, slavery and illegitimacy in the Aeschylus' Clytemnestra-Cassandra and Sophocles' Agamemnon-Teucer parallel

Yeah, dramatic title.

This possible parallel is something that has been on my mind for a while, but I never posted anything about it because I kind of wasn't sure if I wasn't "forcing" it. First of all, here I'm thinking in the case of Teucer and Agamemnon, of Sophocles' Ajax, and in the case of Cassandra and Clytemnestra, of Aeschylus' Agamemnon (the first play of the Oresteia trilogy). The parallels here will be Teucer → Cassandra and Agamemnon → Clytemnestra specifically. Although the focus is on Sophocles and Aeschylus, other authors will also occasionally be cited just for the sake of comparison (i.e., it's not part of the main idea, which is between Sophocles and Aeschylus. It's just extra detail). That said, a few additional details:

I always point this out in posts like this, but I am NOT an academic. It's a hobby!

This parallel is something I noticed a while ago, but I admit I didn't look it up to see if anyone else had mentioned it. So, if anyone knows of any annotated translations or academic texts that address this perspective, feel free to suggest them in the comments or something.

Because some people are a bit sensitive, I want to say here that I don't hate any of the characters involved. I'm also not one to sugarcoat words, so yes, if I think a scene demonstrates elitism, xenophobia, or misogyny, I will describe the character's attitude as such. This isn’t hate at all. For example, I’ll use descriptors like this for Clytemnestra, and she is actually one of my favorite mythological characters. I also don't think I need to keep saying "well, back then this wasn't considered xenophobia/misogyny/elitism" to indicate that I know this. I’m speaking from the perspective of someone who, as a modern person, recognizes these characteristics. My focus here is to talk about power dynamics from the perspective of those in an expected submissive position (slaves, foreigners, women), which is why Agamemnon's character is possibly the least explored here because he isn't typically portrayed as applying one of those characteristics (although I'll mention an ethnic aspect in note 1 and this ethnic context in specif, in a way, applies to Agamemnon). It's not that I don't recognize his nuances, it's just that what's complex about him isn't part of the topic of the post. Similarly, there are times when I would approach a character as both a victim and aggressor/precursor of violence, as is the case with Clytemnestra.

At times, I’ll show more than one translation example. If you start reading the paragraph and is like “this is not English”, then congratulations, you are at the part where I cite a translation in Portuguese (Brazilian and Portuguese, more specifically). You won’t lose any context by ignoring these parts if you aren’t a reader of Portuguese (although, I imagine, perhaps those who know Spanish will be able to understand them due to the similarities between the languages. I personally can understand some texts in Spanish even without studying Spanish for that reason). I’m here because these are translations that I found interesting and I know that I have followers who know Portuguese, so here it is. If you’re still interested even if you don’t understand them, then you can try to use the automatic translator to get a rough idea. However, most of the texts here will be used in English precisely because it is more likely that whoever reads the post will understand English than Portuguese. In the case of academic texts, I’ll include both the original version (in Portuguese) and a kind of translation (in English).

There will be parts with [X] similar to explanatory notes from. These are extra comments I made in my personal interpretation. At times, I’ll share academic texts that exemplify my thinking better than I could. With the exception of these specific passages, these notes aren’t super-deep academic comments, they’re just there because they’re information that I think helps to explain my interpretation, but which I felt that, if I included them in the text at that exact moment, it could make the reading more confusing. They’re at the end of the post.

To understand what I'm trying to do here (I don't even know if I'll be able to explain properly), you need to know some information. I imagine that most people already know Cassandra's core information, but not Teucer's, so here's a recap of information from various sources (that is, I've combined several different accounts in this summary):

CONTEXT OF TEUCER: Years before the famous Trojan War, the Trojan king of the time Laomedon had the city walls built by the gods Apollo and Poseidon, who were given the task of doing so as punishment imposed by Zeus for having rebelled against him previously. However, after the walls were completed, However, after the walls were built, Laomedon didn’t pay/honor the gods, thus committing an offense to the gods. Obviously there were punishments for this and the Trojan princess Hesione was given as a sacrifice so that a sea monster wouldn’t destroy Troy. Hesione was saved by Heracles because Laomedon promised him that he would give him divine horses (given to him by Zeus as compensation for the kidnapping of his son, Ganymede) as a reward. But, just as Laomedon tried to deceive Apollo and Poseidon by not paying for the work done, he tried to do the same to Heracles. Angered, Heracles along with other Achaeans sacked Troy. The kingdom was given to the prince Priam, one of Laomedon's sons, either because Heracles decided to spare him or because Hesione bought her brother's freedom (it depends on the version). Princess Hesione was taken as a prize by the Achaeans. Heracles then gave her to Telamon, king of Salamis and brother of Peleus (father of Achilles), to be his concubine. Taken back to Salamis by Telamon, Hesione eventually became pregnant and gave birth to Teucer, who would become one of the Achaean archers in the Trojan War. Teucer is therefore Telamon's illegitimate son, as his wife is in fact Periboea, mother of Big Ajax. As a bastard, Teucer is in a much more disadvantaged situation than his half-brother Ajax, but they have a good relationship. When Ajax went to Troy, Teucer was part of the Salamis army. In the tenth year of the Trojan War, Achilles died and there was a contest between Odysseus and Ajax over who would get his armor. The details vary, but what matters is that Odysseus won and this resulted in conflicts that eventually led to Ajax's suicide. Subsequently, because of Ajax's death, Teucer was banished from Salamis by Telamon.

CONTEXT OF CASSANDRA: The Achaeans won the Trojan War and one of the consequences was the enslavement of women, some of whom were taken as sex slaves. One of them was Cassandra, the Trojan princess known for being a priestess of Apollo and also a prophetess who had been cursed by Apollo to never be believed. The one who takes her as a war prize is Agamemnon, the leader of the Achaean army. Therefore, when the Greeks leave for home after burning Troy, Cassandra is taken by Agamemnon to Mycenae, his kingdom. Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, and Clytemnestra, Spartan princess and queen of Mycenae, are married. Previously, Agamemnon sacrificed their eldest daughter, Iphigenia, to appease the wrath of the goddess Artemis, as otherwise the Achaeans wouldn’t have been able to go to Troy because Artemis had stopped the winds in Aulis out of anger (depending on the version, the reason for the anger is that Agamemnon had committed hubris towards her). Clytemnestra was against this sacrifice and was tricked into taking Iphigenia to Aulis, as Agamemnon had told her that Iphigenia was actually going to marry Achilles, the demigod son of the Nereid Thetis. Depending on the version, Iphigenia is saved by Artemis, replaced by a deer on the sacrificial altar and taken to Tauris, where she continues to be a priestess of Artemis. However, the other characters don’t know that she is in Tauris, as she is usually only discovered later by Orestes, her younger brother. That is, regardless of whether Iphigenia is sacrificed or replaced, for all intents and purposes Clytemnestra thinks of her as dead. This infuriates her with Agamemnon, and her anger only increases when she discovers that Agamemnon has taken sex slaves, Chryseis and Cassandra. She eventually begins an extramarital affair with Aegisthus, Agamemnon's cousin (he is the son of Thyestes, Atreus' brother) who covets the throne of Mycenae, and plans to have both her husband and Cassandra killed.

[Obviously there are differences depending on the version, but that's the general idea.] 

Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, in their respective scenarios, are in positions of power. In Troy, Agamemnon is king of Mycenae and the leader of the Achaean army, both of his parents were free Greeks and he was a legitimate son and therefore also the legitimate successor to the throne of Mycenae. In comparison, Teucer was an illegitimate son and didn’t have the same rights as a legitimate son, in addition to having a mother of foreign origin (Hesione is Trojan) who also wasn’t a free woman (as she was given as a prize to Telamon). In the army, he was also not one of the leaders, as the leader of the army of Salamis was Ajax, his half-brother and the legitimate heir of Telamon. In Mycenae, Clytemnestra is the queen, a free woman of noble lineage (Spartan royalty) and the legitimate wife in comparison to Cassandra, who although of noble lineage (as she was Trojan royalty), was now enslaved (therefore, no longer a princess and no longer free), was a Trojan on Greek land and was a sexual slave and didn’t have the rights of a legitimate wife.

In the play Ajax, Sophocles tells his version of the myth of Ajax's suicide. Odysseus wins the competition for Achilles' weapons, which enrages Ajax to the point that he returns to his tent while contemplating killing Odysseus, Agamemnon, and Menelaus, believing that they don’t value his importance as one of the greatest Achaean warriors and that Odysseus receiving the weapons of the deceased demigod Achilles, Ajax's cousin (Telamon is brother of Peleus), was just further proof of this. However, the goddess Athena favored Odysseus and, knowing that Ajax had murderous intentions towards her favorite, she drove him mad by causing him to kill the Achaeans' cattle while believing he was killing the three leaders. Eventually, Ajax comes out of his induced and maddened state and, realizing what had really happened, he’s frustrated, embarrassed, and somewhat shocked. Although Tecmessa, Ajax's sex slave/war prize (and mother of Eurysarces by Ajax), tried to prevent anything worse from happening, Ajax did commit suicide (Ajax's death represents a greater vulnerability for Tecmessa, who, as a woman who is no longer free and has had her home invaded and looted, has no stability other than her captor’s “protection”). Ironically, he committed suicide with the sword that Hector, the deceased Trojan prince and Troy's greatest warrior, had given him. Teucer, Ajax's half-brother, arrives too late to save him after hearing that Ajax was behaving strangely and is disturbed by the situation, both because of his feelings for Ajax (they had a good brotherly relationship) and because he understands the consequences of this. Odysseus, Agamemnon and Menelaus know that Ajax killed the cattle thinking they were the cattle. Although Odysseus isn’t angry and even offers to help Teucer with Ajax's body (an offer Teucer rejects), the brothers Agamemnon and Menelaus aren’t so willing to show that forgiveness. As a result, Agamemnon wants to punish Ajax's attempted murder by not allowing Teucer to give his brother the necessary funeral rites. Teucer, however, is obviously not pleased with this and they argue. At one point, Agamemnon insults Teucer, trying to belittle him for being the son of a Trojan captive:

Agamemnon So it is you, they tell me, who dared open your mouth wide to make fierce threats against us—and are you still unpunished? Yes, I mean you—you, the captive slave's son. No doubt if you were born from a noble mother, [1230] your talk would reach the sky and you would proudly strut about, when now it is the case that, though you are a nobody and a nothing, you have stood up for this other nothing lying here, and have vowed that we came out with no authority either as admirals or as generals to rule the Greeks or you. No, as an autonomous ruler, you say, Ajax set sail. [1235] Does it not shame me that I hear these proud words from slavish mouths? What was the man whom you shout about with such arrogance? Where did he advance, or where did he stand his ground, where I did not do the same? Have the Greeks, then, no other men but him? To our own harm, it seems, we announced [1240] to the Greeks the contests for the arms of Achilles, if on all sides we are accounted corrupt because of Teucer, and if it will never satisfy you Salaminians, even when you are defeated, to accept the verdict which satisfied the majority of the judges. But instead you will always no doubt aim your slanderous arrows at us, [1245] or treacherously lash at our backs when you fall behind us in the race. Yet in a place where such ways prevail, there could be no settled order for any law, if we are to thrust the rightful winners aside and bring those in the rear up to the front ranks. [1250] These tendencies must be checked. It is not the stout, broad-shouldered men that are the steadiest allies. No, it is the wise who prevail in every engagement. A broad-backed ox is kept straight on the road all the same when only a small whip directs him. [1255] And a dose of this very medicine, I foresee, will find you before long, unless you gain a little good sense. He no longer exists, but is already a shade, yet still you boldly insult us and give your tongue too much freedom. Restrain yourself, I say. Recall your birth, your nature. [1260] Bring someone else here—a man who is freeborn—who can plead your cause before me in your place. For when you speak, I no longer understand— I do not know your barbarian language.

Ajax, 1226-1263. Translation by Richard Jebb.

Teucer, however, responds to this attempted offense by stating that he is proud of the blood he has, even emphasizing that his mother Hesione has noble blood, and by speaking about how Agamemnon isn’t someone to talk about family, since the House of Atreus (Atreus is the father of Agamemnon and Menelaus) has a curse that causes people in the family to go through tragic situations and also by pointing out that Agamemnon has ancestors who weren’t Greek[1]:

Teucer My, how quickly gratitude to the dead seeps away from men and is found to have turned to betrayal, since this man no longer offers even the slightest praise in remembrance of you, Ajax, even though it was for his sake [1270] you toiled so often in battle, offering your own life to the spear! No, your assistance is dead and gone, all flung aside! Full and foolish talker, do you no longer remember anything of the time when you were trapped inside your defenses, [1275] when you were all but destroyed in the turn of the battle and he, he alone came and saved you at the moment when the flames were already blazing around the decks at your ships' sterns and Hector was leaping high over the trench towards the vessels? [1280] Who averted that? Was it not Ajax who did it, the one who, you say, nowhere set foot where you were not? Well, do you grant that he did his duty to you there? And what about when another time, all alone, he confronted Hector in single combat according to the fall of the lots, and not at anyone's command? [1285] The lot which he cast in was not the kind to flee the challenge; it was no lump of moist earth, but one which would be the first to leap lightly from the crested helmet! It was this man who did those deeds, and I, the slave, the son of the barbarian mother, was at his side. [1290] Pitiful creature, how can you be so blind as to argue the way you do? Are you not aware of the fact that your father's father Pelops long ago was a barbarian, a Phrygian? That Atreus, your own begetter, set before his brother a most unholy feast made from the flesh of his brother's children? [1295] And you yourself were born from a Cretan mother, whose father found a stranger straddling her and who was consigned by him to be prey for the mute fish. So being of such a kind, can you reproach a man like me for my lineage? I am the son of Telamon, [1300] who won my mother for his consort as prize for valor supreme in the army. And she was the daughter of Laomedon, of royal blood, and it was as the flower of the spoil that Alcmena's son gave her to Telamon. Thus nobly born as I am from two noble parents, [1305] could I disgrace my own flesh and blood, whom even as he lies here subdued by such massive troubles, you, making your pronouncements without a blush of shame, would thrust out without burial? Now consider this well: wherever you cast him away, with him you will also cast our three corpses. [1310] It is right for me to die before all men's eyes while I am toiling in his cause, rather than for your wife—or should I say your brother's? With this in mind, then, look not to my safety, but to yours instead, since if you cause me any grief at all, you will soon wish [1315] that you had been more timid than bold when confronting me.

Ajax, 1266-1315. Translation by Richard Jebb.

Another interesting point is that Teucer laments how, now that Ajax is dead, Telamon will surely punish him, knowing that his status as a bastard son of a woman conquered in war won’t give him an advantage with Telamon, who has an undisguised favoritism for the legitimate Ajax and has a complicated temperament (a complicated temperament that seems to be a constant in the sources, particularly notable in Apollonius Rhodius’ Argonautica where Telamon is certainly one of the most irritable Argonauts This characteristic is even more obvious because Peleus, his brother, is notably one of the most self-controlled Argonauts):

Teucer This sight is truly most painful to me of all that my eyes have seen. [995] And the journey truly loathsome to my heart above all other journeys is this one that I have just now made while pursuing and scouting out your footsteps, dearest Ajax, once I learned of your fate! For a swift rumor about you, as if sent from some god, passed throughout all the Greek army, telling that you were dead and gone. [1000] I heard the rumor while still far away from you, and I groaned quietly in sadness. But now that I see its truth, my heart is utterly shattered! Oh, god! Come, uncover him; let me see the worst. The corpse of Ajax is uncovered. O face painful to look upon and full of cruel boldness, [1005] what a full crop of sorrows you have sown for me in your death! Where can I go? What people will receive me, when I have failed to help you in your troubles? No doubt Telamon, your father and mine, will likely greet me with a smile and kind words, [1010] when I return without you. Yes, of course he will—a man who, even when enjoying good fortune, tends not to smile more brightly than before! What will a man like him leave unsaid? What insult will he forego against “the bastard offspring of his spear's war-prize,” against your “cowardly, unmanly betrayer,” dear Ajax, [1015] or better yet, your “treacherous betrayer” with designs to govern your domain and your house after your death? So will he insult me; he is a man quick to anger, severe in old age, and his rage seeks quarrels without cause. And in the end I shall be thrust out of our land, and cast off, [1020] branded by his taunts as a slave instead of a freeman. These are my prospects at home. At Troy, on the other hand, my enemies are many, while I have few things to help me. All this have I gained from your death! Ah, me, what shall I do? How shall I draw your poor corpse [1025] off the sharp tooth of this gleaming sword, the murderer who, it seems, made you breathe your last? Now do you see how in time Hector, though dead, was to destroy you? By the gods, note the fortune of this mortal pair. [1030] First Hector with the very warrior's belt given to him by Ajax was lashed to the chariot-rail and shredded without end, until his life fled with his breath. Now Ajax here had this gift from Hector, and by this he has perished in his deadly fall. Was it not the Fury who forged this blade, [1035] was not that belt the product of Hades, the grim artificer? I, for my part, would affirm that these happenings and all happenings ever are designed by the gods for men. But if there is anyone in whose judgment my words are unacceptable, let him cherish his own thoughts, as I do mine.

Ajax, 992-1039. Translation by Richard Jebb.

Okay, save those scenes! Now let's move on to Cassandra's part. In the play Agamemnon, Aeschylus writes his version of Agamemnon's return from Troy. Clytemnestra has taken Aegisthus as her lover and, knowing that her husband is returning with Cassandra as his concubine, she wants to kill them with the support of Aegisthus, who sees the advantage in this because he will be able to marry Clytemnestra and thus have the throne of Mycenae again (years ago, Thyestes and his son Aegisthus had stolen the throne from Atreus, resulting in the exile of the young Menelaus and Agamemnon. However, Mycenae was recovered when the brothers had already grown up and Aegisthus fled). Clytemnestra has already planned everything, from a scheme to keep her informed of Agamemnon's distance to how she will kill them without them having a chance to fight back. Agamemnon and Cassandra arrive, Clytemnestra and Agamemnon talk, Agamemnon enters the palace and Clytemnestra then tries to talk to Cassandra, who in turn already knows everything because of her prophetic powers (but who is unable to tell the truth to anyone, as she is cursed by Apollo not to be believed after having broken a promise to the god). Cassandra doesn’t entertain Clytemnestra, who, irritated at not being able to make her talk, insults her and Cassandra still doesn’t answer her:

Clytaemestra [1035] Get inside, you too, Cassandra; since not unkindly has Zeus appointed you to share the holy water of a house where you may take your stand, with many another slave, at the altar of the god who guards its wealth. Get down from the car and do not be too proud; [1040] for even Alcmene's son, men say, once endured to be sold and eat the bread of slavery. But if such fortune should of necessity fall to the lot of any, there is good cause for thankfulness in having masters of ancient wealth; for they who, beyond their hope, have reaped a rich harvest of possessions, [1045] are cruel to their slaves in every way, even exceeding due measure. You have from us such usage as custom warrants. Chorus It is to you she has been speaking and clearly. Since you are in the toils of destiny, perhaps you will obey, if you are so inclined; but perhaps you will not. Clytaemestra [1050] Well, if her language is not strange and foreign, even as a swallow's, I must speak within her comprehension and move her to comply. Chorus Go with her. With things as they now stand, she gives you the best. Do as she bids and leave your seat in the car. Clytaemestra [1055] I have no time to waste with this woman here outside; for already the victims stand by the central hearth awaiting the sacrifice—a joy we never expected to be ours. As for you, if you will take any part, make no delay. [1060] But if, failing to understand, you do not catch my meaning, then, instead of speech, make a sign with your barbarian hand. Chorus It is an interpreter and a plain one that the stranger seems to need. She bears herself like a wild creature newly captured. Clytaemestra No, she is mad and listens to her wild mood, [1065] since she has come here from a newly captured city, and does not know how to tolerate the bit until she has foamed away her fretfulness in blood. No! "I will waste no more words upon her to be insulted thus."Exit Chorus But I will not be angry, since I pity her. [1070] Come, unhappy one, leave the car; yield to necessity and take upon you this novel yoke.

Agamemnon, 1035-1071. Translation by Herbert Weir Smyth.

Cassandra also occasionally refers to Troy and her family in the play:

Cassandra O the sufferings, the sufferings of my city utterly destroyed! Alas, the sacrifices my father offered, the many pasturing cattle slain to save its towers! [1170] Yet they provided no remedy to save the city from suffering even as it has; and I, my soul on fire, must soon fall to the ground.

Agamemnon, 1167-1773. Translation by Herbert Weir Smyth.

Cassandra [1305] Alas for you, my father and for your noble children! She starts back in horror

Agamemnon, 1305. Translation by Herbert Weir Smyth.

Obviously there are other things in these plays as well (e.g. Teucer argues with Menelaus too, Tecmessa has lines, there are scenes from Odysseus, Clytemnestra talks to the Chorus, Cassandra talks to the Chorus, there are the deaths of Agamemnon and Cassandra, etc), but these are the points that matter for what I'm going to talk about. And I know I've talked A LOT about Sophocles' Ajax, but a fair amount of people here haven't read Ajax and I feel like the context would be helpful to better understand the parallels I'm trying to suggest here. The myth surrounding the murder of Cassandra and Agamemnon is pretty well-known, so I've commented less on it.

And here we have some similarities between these moments. Teucer and Cassandra are both offended by people of greater power than him, whose offenses have a xenophobic character. Both Agamemnon and Clytemnestra use their Trojan heritage as something offensive (because they’re then "barbarians") and both mention the aspect of slavery in a “joking” way (Agamemnon by mocking Teucer's mother being a captive and by saying that he is like a slave because of this; Clytemnestra by speaking ironically about Cassandra now being a slave and even commenting on her sexual situation).

They actually behave similarly regarding "not understanding". Agamemnon says "Bring someone else here—a man who is freeborn—who can plead your cause before me in your place. For when you speak, I no longer understand— I do not know your barbarian language" [2], stating that it’s better to bring a free man (and not the son of a captive) because Agamemnon doesn't understand Teucer's barbarian language (because Teucer's mother is Trojan and therefore barbarian). Clytemnestra, in turn, says "Well, if her language is not strange and foreign, even as a swallow's, I must speak within her comprehension and move her to comply" negatively emphasizing how Cassandra's language is foreign and "But if, failing to understand, you do not catch my meaning, then, instead of speech, make a sign with your barbarian hand", insinuating that Cassandra may not be able to understand her (in this case, because she sees Cassandra as crazy, someone without understanding) and characterizing her as barbarian (for being Trojan) by saying "barbarian hand".[3]

In both cases, the offense is motivated by the anger of the one who is offended by the behavior of another person, as Clytemnestra was already furious with Cassandra for Agamemnon's unfaithfulness and Agamemnon was already furious because he knew that Ajax intended to kill him when he killed the cattle. Both Clytemnestra and Agamemnon transfer the impact hat the actions of a person in a privileged position have on them (Ajax because he’s really a legitimate son and not the son of a foreign captive, while Agamemnon because he’s really king of Mycenae and a free man) onto the less privileged people (Teucer because he is a bastard son of a foreign mother, Cassandra because she is a foreign woman enslaved). In both cases, the anger is subsequently increased by the attitude that actually belongs to the target of the offense (Teucer/Cassandra) rather than someone else (Ajax/Agamemnon), as Agamemnon is enraged to see that Teucer is reacting to his half-brother's death and sees no problem in questioning the Achaean authorities (Menelaus and Agamemnon), and Clytemnestra is enraged that Cassandra won’t peak to her, seeing this as an offense ("I will waste no more words upon her to be insulted thus").

Another similarity is that both Cassandra and Teucer, in a way, make it clear that they share a “disadvantageous” characteristic in common with the character who offends them. Teucer, as already indicated, brings Agamemnon closer to his condition by commenting on how Agamemnon also has foreign blood, which would make them both “barbarians” in Agamemnon’s argument. On the other hand, Cassandra says:

“Such boldness has she, a woman to slay a man. What odious monster shall I fitly call her? An Amphisbaena? Or a Scylla, tenanting the rocks, a pest to mariners, [1235] a raging, devil's mother, breathing relentless war against her husband? And how the all-daring woman raised a shout of triumph, as when the battle turns, the while she feigned to joy at his safe return!”.  Em uma versão em português de Mário da Gama Kury, temos: “Audácia enorme! A fêmea mata o próprio macho! A que bifronte monstro repugnante, víbora ou Cila moradora em rochedos ocultos, desolação de infortunados marinheiros, irei pedir o mais horripilante nome, conforme a essa mãe do inferno, furiosa, resfolegando a destruição de sua gente? E o grito de triunfo da mais que atrevida, como se fosse a vencedora de um combate! Fingindo júbilo diante do regresso!”

And the thing is: Clytemnestra as a woman who was repeatedly betrayed by her husband (she herself acknowledges the existence of Chryseis and is clearly bothered by Cassandra, Iphigenia wasn’t the only reason although Iphigenia for sure is a very relevant factor), deals with mourning the death of a daughter (Iphigenia) and even has her attitudes negatively associated with her being a woman by her husband[4] is in this situation partly because she is a woman but isn't Cassandra in this disadvantageous scenario also partly because she is a woman? Isn't she Agamemnon’s sex slave because she is a young woman that he desired carnally and, motivated by this, exercised power over her? Agamemnon himself, ironically, uses both being a woman and being a barbarian as if they were something offensive given the pompous way in which Clytemnestra perceives him, thus associating Clytemnestra's excess (purposeful excess, by the way) with her being a woman and equating this with barbarian lack of control. [5]:

“For the rest, pamper me not as if I were a woman, nor, like some barbarian [920] grovel before me with widemouthed acclaim” [read here] ”For the rest, treat me not as if I were a woman, in a luxuriant [habros] manner, nor, like some barbarian, 920 grovel before me with widemouthed acclaim” [read here] ”No, do not soften my delicious steps so womanly with this, nor fall and worship, crying aloud to me like some barbarian”. [read here] Em uma versão em português de Mário da Gama Kury, temos: “Ainda mais: não quero que me envolvas hoje em luxos próprios de mulheres, nem me acolhas prostrada e boquiaberta como me apareces pois não estás diante de algum ser exótico”

Okay, now that I already indicated here the scenes I’m comparing, let's look at an important detail. If Teucer and Cassandra have similarities in the way they are approached by Agamemnon and Clytemnestra in an elitist manner (when talking about Teucer and Cassandra's condition with slavery)[6] and xenophobic (when considering them as barbarians and, therefore, inferior) and there is also a misogynistic tone (in Teucer's case, directed at Hesione. In Cassandra's case, directed at her)[7] and they also both bring their offender closer to their condition (Teucer by pointing out that Agamemnon has foreign blood, Cassandra by pointing out that Clytemnestra is a woman), the ways in which they immediately react to the offender is different. Where Teucer is all sharp tongue, Cassandra is completely silent. This difference creates the shared perception that Teucer fights against the oppression imposed on him, but it raises debates about whether Cassandra does the same or is a passive character as a form of narrative opposition to the very active Clytemnestra. I have said this in another post and I will repeat it here: I don’t think Cassandra is passive in this scene, in fact I think she does the same as Teucer by other means. In the play, Clytemnestra WANTS Cassandra to speak and is irritated when she sees that she refuses to speak. Even the Chorus notes this when trying to convince Cassandra to comply:

Chorus It is to you she has been speaking and clearly. Since you are in the toils of destiny, perhaps you will obey, if you are so inclined; but perhaps you will not. [...] Chorus Go with her. With things as they now stand, she gives you the best. Do as she bids and leave your seat in the car.

Agamemnon. Translation by G.C. Armstrong.

As shown, Clytemnestra gets irritated and leaves. And it’s right after Clytemnestra leaves that Cassandra breaks her silence:

Clytaemestra No, she is mad and listens to her wild mood, [1065] since she has come here from a newly captured city, and does not know how to tolerate the bit until she has foamed away her fretfulness in blood. No! I will waste no more words upon her to be insulted thus.Exit Chorus But I will not be angry, since I pity her. [1070] Come, unhappy one, leave the car; yield to necessity and take upon you this novel yoke. Cassandra Woe, woe, woe! O Apollo, O Apollo!

Agamemnon. Translation by G.C. Armstrong.

In other words, she deliberately didn’t speak while Clytemnestra was present. It was a deliberate move. If she just wanted to be passive and go unnoticed, she would probably have remained silent in front of the Chorus, something she absolutely doesn’t do even though she knows they don’t understand her. In some scenes, she even displays a bitter irony regarding the Chorus's confused reactions, such as:

Cassandra Surely you must have missed the meaning of my prophecies. Chorus I do not understand the scheme of him who is to do the deed. Cassandra And yet all too well I understand the Greek language. Chorus [1255] So too do the Pythian oracles; yet they are hard to understand.

Agamemnon, 1252-1255. Translation by G.C. Armstrong.

Which, by the way, ties in with the scene in which Clytemnestra had jokingly insinuated that Cassandra wouldn’t be able to understand them. Cassandra understands them well, it’s they who don’t understand her. And not because she is barbaric or crazy, as Clytemnestra insinuates, but because she is cursed:

Cassandra The seer Apollo appointed me to this office. Chorus [1204] Can it be that he, a god, was smitten with desire? Cassandra [1203] Before now I was ashamed to speak of this. Chorus [1205] In prosperity all take on airs. Cassandra Oh, but he struggled to win me, breathing ardent love for me. Chorus Did you in due course come to the rite of marriage? Cassandra I consented to Loxias but broke my word.

Agamemnon, 1203-1208. Translation by G.C. Armstrong.

We are therefore in a context where an enslaved foreign woman actively refused to comply with the order given to her by her master's lawful wife. This, to me, is resistance[8] as much as Teucer's verbal expression to Agamemnon (and, in earlier scenes, to Menelaus).

In an explanatory note to the Brazilian edition, Kury comments:

TEXTO ORIGINAL

Alguns comentaristas criticam a inconsequência aparente de Clitemnestra: se Cassandra não a entendia, como poderia manifestar-se por gestos? Esse contra-senso explica-se como decorrência da irritação de Clitemnestra, que Ésquilo dessa forma pretende acentuar, diante do silêncio de Cassandra, que a rainha interpreta como arrogância.

Oréstia: Agamêmnon, Coéforas, Eumênides, pg 86.

IMPROVISED TRANSLATION

Some commentators criticize Clytemnestra's apparent inconsistency: if Cassandra didn’t understand her, how could she express herself through gestures? This contradiction can be explained as a result of Clytemnestra's irritation, which Aeschylus thus intends to accentuate, in the face of Cassandra's silence, which the queen interprets as arrogance.

Oréstia: Agamêmnon, Coéforas, Eumênides, pg 86.

That is, Cassandra's silence angered Clytemnestra. In Clytemnestra’s point of view, this was offensive and angered her greatly. Cassandra hurt her much more by disobeying her by remaining silent than she would have if she had argued against her. This caused Clytemnestra's authority to be disregarded, which certainly bothers her immensely (even more so if we consider how Clytemnestra actually exercises political power in both Agamemnon and Libation Bearers. Power is important to Clytemnestra, this being part of what makes her a character who reverses gender roles, as she displays more authority, violence and power than Aegisthus, characteristics that are considered typically masculine. And she is in fact referred to as masculine by other characters, while Aegisthus is accused of being effeminate). On the other hand, if Teucer had remained silent before Agamemnon, that would have been what Agamemnon wanted. Because, as Agamemnon says, he would rather speak to a free man than to a “enslaved” man like Teucer. Teucer's silence would only confirm to Agamemnon the distorted idea that he is superior to Teucer. In this sense, in relatively similar situations, Teucer and Cassandra's reactions were different, but both were a way of reclaiming autonomy and combating the authority of their offenders.

Finally, I just want to point out how ironic it is that Teucer sided with the Greeks and helped to pillage, enslave, and destroy Troy and its allies, having been raised in a Greek context despite having a Trojan mother, but that ultimately doesn't change the fact that in the eyes of many, he is not really Greek enough. To Agamemnon, the moment Teucer displeased him, then he was no longer a Greek loyal soldier but a “barbarian slave”. To Telamon, the moment Teucer displeased him, then he was just a bastard and didn’t have the importance of the legitimate son and son of a Greek mother Ajax. Although Teucer was one of those indirectly responsible for Cassandra's (and other Trojans') situation, in the end his acceptance of Greek objectives didn’t prevent him from being treated in a similar way to the Trojans he, following Greek norms and goals, helped to oppress. And as much as all this has happened, Teucer seems to be aware of the risks, given the way he anticipates the actions of Telamon (who, in other sources, is said to have banished him from Salamis because of Ajax's death) and the way he interacts with Tecmessa and Eurysarces, a captive woman and her son (similar to the roles played by Hesione and Teucer himself. Tecmessa was even aware of the dangers she and her son faced in their status as a captive woman and illegitimate child, something she tried to tell Ajax to convince him to stay alive since his death would possibly make their situation even more precarious). Teucer, upon learning that Ajax is dead, also laments how his situation is precarious now. Despite being part of Tecmessa's captors (that is, the Achean army), he ultimately had the same fears as she did because, internally, he knows he is more like Tecmessa than Ajax. [9] Teucer knows that he will never be seen as Greek or free enough by those who are considered free Greeks by birth. This complex situation in which Teucer is included in these ethnic and power dynamics is painfully realistic.[10]

NOTES

[1] Additional context regarding Agamemnon's lineage: Teucer mentions Pelops being a Phrygian. Pelops was a king of Pisa, father of Atreus and therefore grandfather of Agamemnon. He was the son of Tantalus, who in some sources is depicted as a Phrygian or even a Lydian king and therefore as foreign as the Trojans. The fact that Pelops was possibly a Phrygian, ironically make Agamemnon even closer to the general view of the Trojans in that for a period the Trojans were strongly associated with Phrygia in what has been called "Phrygianization", a famous example of this being the way Paris came to be depicted on pottery wearing Phrygian clothing, which accentuated the contrast between him and the Greek Helen who, on these pottery, wore Greek clothing. Note that this is about the Greek perception of the Trojans, not about archaeological studies trying to understand what ethnicity the Trojans might have been (generally assumed to be probably Hittite). In fact, Pelops himself, Agamemnon's grandfather, was sometimes depicted as a young man in Phrygian robes carrying the Greek Hippodamia, notably dressed in Greek robes. Here is an example for Paris that and here's an example for Pelops. Sophocles' play Ajax was written in the period of Classical Greece, when the "Phrygianization" of foreigner people was already a feature of art, and so his having Teucer point out Agamemnon's foreign lineage is... well, it seems to me that it might have something to do with the perception of Pelops, ancestor of the House of Atreus, and the Trojans, Teucer's maternal ancestors, becoming similar in this period to some extent. There have been instances where scholars have debated whether the scene of a young Phrygian man carrying off a Greek woman was Pelops-Hippodamia or Paris-Helen, although generally depictions with horses tend to be Pelops (because of the horse race orchestrated by Hippodamia's father). An example of these similarities between these couples is this article. That's how ironic this Agamemnon-Teucer situation is. Is Agamemnon really that different?

[2] For comparative purposes, other translations:

“Get some sense, Teucer! Learn who you are! You are a slave! Bring a free man to speak on your behalf! I cannot understand a thing you’re saying. I do not speak the language of the barbarians.” [read here] “Why not let another man step forward, [1260] someone free born, to state your case to us instead of you? For when you’re speaking, 1520 I’m not prepared to listen any more. To me your barbarian way of speaking is quite impossible to understand.” [read here] Em uma versão em português de  Maria Luísa de Oliveira Resende, temos: E eu vejo esse remédio que se aproxima de ti em breve se não ganhares senso não estando já vivo este homem, mas sendo apenas uma sombra, tu és presunçoso e insolente, e falas como se tivesses liberdade. Não te tornarás sensato? Não compreendes que natureza é a tua, e não conduzirás para aqui um outro homem, que seja livre, que fale comigo sobre os teus assuntos, em vez de ti? Se fores tu a falar, eu não compreenderei nada, pois não entendo a língua bárbara.

[3] For comparative purposes, other translations:

“My words get through to her, even if her wont's 1050 the baby-language of her savage brood, barbarian birdsong, twittering swallow-cry” e “Or if your mouth couldn't make him understand, 1060 perhaps you should have used those supple hands” [read here].  “I wot-unless like swallows she doth use some strange barbarian tongue from oversea my words must speak persuasion to her soul” e “From these my words, let thy barbarian hand fulfil by gesture the default of speech” [read here] Em uma versão em português de Mário da Gama Kury, temos: “Se ela não fala em sua terra língua exótica como a dos bárbaros, vou tentar expressar-me de acordo com seu ânimo e a tornarei obediente aos mandamentos da razão.” e “se não és capaz de compreender-me e não dás conta do que digo, faze com as mãos exóticas um simples gesto!”

[4] There are not many examples of Agamemnon's behavior towards Clytemnestra as a woman in The Oresteia, since ironically Agamemnon isn’t a character with many lines and Clytemnestra and Cassandra speak more than he does. However, there are some. One of the examples is the already shown association of Clytemnestra's thoughtless attitude in Agamemnon's eyes (the display of pomp by making Agamemnon walk on the purple tapestry, something he considers a sign of pride and disrespect to the gods. This attitude isn’t really  thoughtless, it is in fact planned, but he doesn’t know it) as a feminine characteristic. Still in this tapestry scene, Clytemnestra is trying to convince him to do what she asks and at one point says "he who is unenvied is unenviable", to which Agamemnon responds with "surely it is not woman's part to long for fighting". In Aeschylus, these are the only moments.

In case you're curious about how other authors portray this type of conflict, here are some. In the Homeric texts, in Book 1 of The Iliad Agamemnon states in front of the entire army that he finds Chryseis, the sexual captive he has taken, a better bedmate than Clytemnestra, his wife. In Book 11 of The Odyssey, Agamemnon uses his traumatic experience of being betrayed by his own wife to state to Odysseus how women are untrustworthy, that you shouldn't share secrets with them and that Clytemnestra's crime stains them all, although he points out that Penelope is an exception and Odysseus doesn't need to worry about her (here the betrayal lies in her having an affair with Aegisthus and helping him kill Agamemnon, since in the Homeric texts Clytemnestra kills Cassandra, but Aegisthus kills Agamemnon. In the case of Aeschylus, Clytemnestra kills both. Also, not to excuse misogynistic behavior, but Agamemnon was obviously affected by the fact of...being KILLED by his wife. Like yeah, he is surely upset). It’is also said in The Odyssey that Agamemnon ordered a servant to keep watch over Clytemnestra, which can be interpreted as both an act of protection by Agamemnon and an indication of his distrust in leaving his wife alone for years. In Iphigenia in Aulis, a play by Euripides, Clytemnestra details:

Clytemnestra Well, now listen; for I will unfold my meaning and no longer employ dark riddles. In the first place—to reproach you first with this—it was not of my own free will but by force that you took and wed me, [1150] after slaying Tantalus, my former husband, and dashing my baby on the ground when you had torn him from my breast with brutal violence. Then those two sons of Zeus, who were my brothers, came flashing on horseback to war with you; [1155] but Tyndareus, my old father, rescued you because of your suppliant prayers, and you in turn had me to wife. Once I was reconciled to you upon this footing, you will bear me witness I have been a blameless wife to you and your family, chaste in love, [1160] an honor to your house, that so your coming in might be with joy and your going out with gladness. And it is seldom a man secures a wife like this, though the getting of a worthless woman Is no rarity. Besides three daughters, of one of whom you are heartlessly depriving me, [1165] I am the mother of this son of yours. If anyone asks you your reason for slaying her, tell me, what will you say? or must I say it for you? “It is that Menelaus may recover Helen.” An honorable exchange, indeed, to pay a wicked woman's price in children's lives! [1170] It is buying what we most detest with what we hold most dear. Again, if you go forth with the army, leaving me in your halls and are long absent at Troy, what will my feelings be at home, do you think? when I behold each vacant chair [1175] and her chamber now deserted, and then sit down alone in tears, making ceaseless lamentation for her, “Ah! my child, he that begot you has slain you himself, he and no one else, nor are was it by another's hand, leaving behind him such a return to his home.” [1180] For it needs now only a trifling pretext for me and the daughters remaining to give you the reception it is right you should receive. I adjure you by the gods, do not compel me to sin against you, or sin yourself.

Iphigenia in Aulis, 1146-1184. Translation by E. P. Coleridge.

In any case, although Clytemnestra is a character with criminal attitudes and who makes innocent victims (Cassandra, Orestes, Electra, Chrysothemis, etc), this doesn’t prevent her from also being a victim in certain aspects. There is this idea that Clytemnestra being a victim of a sexist society is an attempt to excuse her crimes, but this isn’t necessarily the case. Patriarchal customs, in fact, constantly try to limit Clytemnestra. In The Oresteia, Clytemnestra is remarkably aware of what is expected of a woman. In Agamemnon, before the murder, she manipulates Chorus and Agamemnon through her role-playing of a devoted wife who is happy with her husband's return because she knows that this is what is expected, that this is what will not arouse suspicion. No one finds the sacrifice she orders strange, the way she makes Agamemnon walk on the purple tapestry, the way she talks about preparing victims to slaughter him, etc because they think she sacrificed them in honor of her husband's army's victory, that her attitude towards the tapestry is just a woman being reckless and that the victims she speaks of are the animals used in the banquet in honor of Agamemnon. More than once, Clytemnestra speaks to the Chorus and characterizes herself as a woman in her speech, saying things "I speak as a woman". In Libation Bearers, Clytemnestra shows her breast to Orestes in an attempt to sensitize him so he won't kill her, wanting to claim motherhood as a reason to show her mercy. Clytemnestra is aware of gender roles, but the thing is that most of the time she purposefully uses them as a tool or distorts them. Throughout both plays, Clytemnestra excuses her actions with what a woman would do. Yes, she seems elated, but hey, women are like that! She isn’t only aware of what is expected of her as a woman, but also not satisfied with the position she would be given if she followed typical roles, as made clear by the way the power is in her hands and not Aegisthus', although she still needs Aegisthus. Regarding the power aspects of the Clytemnestra-Aegisthus marriage:

TEXTO ORIGINAL

Clitemnestra é uma mulher considerada muito acima do que seria o status adequado de uma esposa para Egisto (FOLEY, 2011, p. 66) e isso justificaria em parte um maior comando da Tindarida. Além disso, eles se casam de maneira matrilocal: o marido passa a morar na casa da mulher, e isso indica que a linhagem da mulher é muito excelsa e que os filhos do casal podem ter preferência ao trono mesmo ante os irmãos da esposa (POMEROY, 1995, p. 20). O casamento de Helena e Menelau em Homero também era matrilocal, o que dava um motivo muito político para o Atrida travar uma guerra: o reinado dele estava baseado em seu casamento com a filha de Tíndaro (POMEROY, 1995, p. 20-21). Em outras palavras, Egisto precisa de Clitemnestra para vingar o pai e para governar. Por sua vez, Clitemnestra, numa cultura que nega autonomia às mulheres, necessita de uma autoridade masculina para exercer poder sobre Argos e para continuar viva após ousar assassinar seu marido e rei. Eles necessitam um do outro, e o casamento entre eles é político, como qualquer outro casamento da Hélade. As últimas palavras da tragédia Agamêmnon, proferidas por Clitemnestra, indicam a natureza da união: “Não cuides mais destes vãos latidos. Eu/ e tu no poder bem disporemos do palácio” (μὴ προτιμήσῃς ματαίων τῶνδ' ὑλαγμάτων· ἐγὼ/καὶ σὺ θήσομεν κρατοῦντε τῶνδε δωμάτων καλῶς; v. 1672-1673). Apesar da necessidade mútua, é incerto supor uma igualdade entre os membros do casal. A cultura concede o poder ao homem, entretanto, a heroína central de Agamêmnon é claramente a mulher. Em sua fala apaziguadora entre Egisto e o Coro numa tentativa de evitar conflitos com a população (v. 1654-1661), a rainha de Argos, sempre política, alerta o marido, mas imbui seu discurso de uma humildade que destoa completamente da ousadia que demonstrara em todos os outros momentos: “assim fala mulher, se merece ouvidos” (ὧδ' ἔχει λόγος γυναικός, εἴ τις ἀξιοῖ μαθεῖν; v. 1661). Alguns podem interpretar que Clitemnestra cede a Egisto; todavia, entendo que as palavras femininas e próprias de uma esposa zelosa são claramente uma atuação e mais uma demonstração da excelência retórica ante o público apropriado, evitando que a imagem masculina de Egisto seja ferida.

No entanto, essa união os protege dos homens, não dos deuses. A justiça que Egisto está incumbido de executar é a de vingar o seu pai matando Agamêmnon. Tomar a mulher, o trono e todos os tesouros dos espólios de Tróia – frutos de uma guerra que Egisto não lutou – pode lhe acarretar em húbris. Isso daria razão à censura do Coro sobre a posição guerreira de Agamêmnon em oposição à caseira de Egisto. Por Egisto estar com Clitemnestra e não ter agido diretamente, ele fica vulnerável a insultos de uma cultura centralmente masculina, especialmente de um Coro que passou a tragédia inteira ressaltando as qualidades masculinas de Clitemnestra. As qualidades e as atitudes “viris” da rainha (a ousadia, o domínio da retórica, o uso de uma arma, a execução da justiça vingativa de acordo com o código heroico, dentre outras), apesar de muito repreendidas, foram essenciais para executar seu intento. Contudo, são os anciãos que atribuem virilidade à Clitemnestra, fiéis a uma cultura que associa fixamente comportamentos com gênero. Ela mesma nunca se vê fora do feminino, pelo contrário, o fundamento principal de seu ato é tipicamente feminino: a maternidade. A rainha de Argos é motivada por questões próprias da mulher e, paradoxalmente, é a partir da falta de consideração dessas questões pela cultura na qual ela está inserida que Clitemnestra se vê forçada a romper violentamente com as normas vigentes se quiser reivindicar a justiça que lhe é negada.

O aidós de Clitemnestra: política e poder no Agamêmnon de Ésquilo por Tiago Irigaray, pg 12-13.

IMPROVISED TRANSLATION

Clytemnestra is a woman considered far above what would be the appropriate status of a wife for Aegisthus (FOLEY, 2011, p. 66) and this would partly justify a greater command of the Tyndareus. Furthermore, they marry in a matrilocal manner: the husband goes to live in the woman's house, and this indicates that the woman's lineage is very exalted and that the couple's children may have preference for the throne even over the wife's brothers (POMEROY, 1995, p. 20). The marriage of Helen and Menelaus in Homer was also matrilocal, which gave a very political reason for the son of Atreus to wage war: his reign was based on his marriage to the daughter of Tyndareus (POMEROY, 1995, p. 20-21). In other words, Aegisthus needs Clytemnestra to avenge his father and to rule. In turn, Clytemnestra, in a culture that denies autonomy to women, needs a male authority to exercise power over Argos and to remain alive after daring to murder her husband and king. They need each other, and the marriage between them is political, like any other marriage in Hellas. The last words of the tragedy Agamemnon, spoken by Clytemnestra, indicate the nature of the union: "Do not care any more for these vain barkings. I/and you in power will dispose of the palace well” (μὴ προτιμήσῃς ματαίων τῶνδ' ὑλαγμάτων· ἐγὼ/καὶ σὺ θήσομεν κρατοῦντε τῶνδε δωμάτων καλῶς; Despite the mutual need, it’s uncertain to assume equality between the members of the couple. Culture grants power to men, however, Agamemnon's central heroine is clearly women. In her conciliatory speech between Aegisthus and the Chorus in an attempt to avoid conflict with the population (v. 1654-1661), the queen of Argos, always political, warns her husband, but imbues her speech with a humility that completely clashes with the boldness she had demonstrated at all other times: “thus speaks a woman, if she deserves to be heard” (ὧδ' ἔχει λόγος γυναικός, εἴ τις ἀξιοῖ μαθεῖν; v. 1661). Some may interpret this as Clytemnestra giving in to Aegisthus; However, I understand that the feminine words of a dutiful wife are clearly an act and a further demonstration of rhetorical excellence before the appropriate audience, preventing Aegisthus' masculine image from being harmed.

However, this union protects them from men, not from the gods. The justice that Aegisthus is charged with executing is to avenge his father by killing Agamemnon. Taking the woman, the throne and all the treasures of the spoils of Troy – fruits of a war that Aegisthus didn’t fight – could lead to hubris. This would justify the Chorus's criticism of Agamemnon's warrior position as opposed to Aegisthus' domestic one. Because Aegisthus is with Clytemnestra and hasn’t acted directly, he’s vulnerable to insults from a centrally masculine culture, especially from the Chorus that has spent the entire tragedy emphasizing Clytemnestra's masculine qualities. The queen's "virile" qualities and attitudes (her boldness, mastery of rhetoric, use of a weapon, execution of vengeful justice according to the heroic code, among others), despite being much reprimanded, were essential to carry out her intent. However, it’s the elders who attribute virility to Clytemnestra, faithful to a culture that firmly associates behavior with gender. She herself never sees herself outside the feminine; on the contrary, the main basis of her act is typically feminine: motherhood. The queen of Argos is motivated by issues specific to women and, paradoxically, it’s from the lack of consideration of these issues by the culture in which she is inserted that Clytemnestra finds herself forced to violently break with the prevailing norms if she wants to claim the justice that is denied to her.

O aidós de Clitemnestra: política e poder no Agamêmnon de Ésquilo por Tiago Irigaray, pg 12-13.

Thus, the relationship with Aegisthus in The Oresteia gives her a kind of autonomy and power that Clytemnestra doesn’t receive with Agamemnon, who in the relationship is clearly the family authority figure. Agamemnon, as a man who exercises socially expected power and gender dynamics of his time, limits her even if he is not doing so with malicious intent. And while there are wives who are portrayed as not caring about these gender dynamics, that is definitely not the case with Clytemnestra. And it's not that she didn't try, most sources don't seem to point to anything different about her before the Trojan War and some even make it clear that she was a fairly typical wife and mother (e.g. Iphigenia in Aulis in the excerpt shown here. Even The Odyssey describes her as initially resistant to Aegisthus and having been a sensible woman), but circumstances made her decide in the end that it wasn't worth trying.

Personally, I imagine that Iphigenia was the trigger for this while Chryseis and Cassandra were the catalysts. Despite being a good mother, Clytemnestra still unjustly lost her innocent daughter. In the play Iphigenia in Aulis, she even claims that it should have been Hermione since it was Helen's infidelity (yes, Euripides' Clytemnestra and Aeschylus' Clytemnestra seem to share different views on Helen's guilt, as in The Agamemnon she berates the Chorus for blaming Helen) and Menelaus's goals in getting his unfaithful wife back. To Clytemnestra, Helen and Menelaus deserve to lose their daughter for their actions, but she doesn’t. She did nothing to justify this tragedy. Notably, after Iphigenia's death, any good motherhood Clytemnestra had shown was gone. In sources that portray her relationships with her other children, she is a negative and even tyrant figure. She abuses Electra by forcing her into a situation akin to slavery and, depending, even forcing her into an unwanted marriage. She wishes Orestes were dead, sometimes celebrating her son's death when she is tricked into thinking he has died. Although Chrysotemis is obedient to Clytemnestra and doesn’t appear to be suffering the punishments that Electra suffers, she is clearly only cooperating because she is afraid of Clytemnestra and feels it is safer to be on the side of the victors (note the similarity of Chrysotemis and Electra's conversation in Sophocles' Electra to Ismene and Antigone's conversation in Sophocles' Antigone , in which one figure is willing to take revenge even if it puts her at risk while the other is willing to accept injustice for the sake of safety. And yet, the figure who accepts the injustice eventually tries to help the defiant sister). Along with Iphigenia, the role of mother died.

In the war, Agamemnon takes Chryseis and Cassandra as sexual slaves/concubines, and Clytemnestra is aware of this and becomes jealous of the situation. Although what Agamemnon did wouldn’t be considered treason in their time (because Chryseis and Cassandra are slaves), the idea of ​​the jealous wife of captives isn’t new and quite common in mythology (note the women of Lemnos being exchanged for enslaved Thracian women, or Hermione's attitude when she feels that Neoptolemus prioritizes the enslaved Andromache). That this type of behavior was common doesn’t indicate that it was 100% accepted, as is clear from how frequent these portrayals are. In fact, Aristotle even criticizes Agamemnon's behavior by claiming that by being unfaithful to his wife he lost her loyalty, and comparing him to Odysseus, who Aristotle said was rewarded for his fidelity by his wife's fidelity:

By choosing the better of all these alternatives a husband should secure the agreement, loyalty, and devotion of his wife, so that whether he himself is present or not, there may be no difference in her attitude towards him, since she realizes that they are alike guardians of the common interests; and so when he is away she may feel that to her no man is kinder [130] or more virtuous or more truly hers than her own husband.And <a good wife> will make this manifest from the beginning by her unfailing regard for the common welfare, novice though she be in such matters. And if the husband learns first to master himself, he will thereby become his wife's best guide in all the affairs of life, and will teach her to follow his example. For Homer pays no honor either to affection or to fear apart from the shame or modesty that shrinks from evil. Everywhere he bids affection be coupled with self-control and shame; whilst the fear he commends is such as Helen owns when she thus addresses Priam: "Beloved sire of my lord, it is fitting that I fear thee and dread thee and revere"; meaning that her love for him is mingled with fear and modest shame. And again, Ulysses speaks to Nausicaa in this manner: [140] "Thou, lady, dost fill me with wonder and with fear." For Homer believes that this is the feeling of a <good> husband and wife for one another, and that if they so feel, it will be well with them both. For none ever loves or admires or fears in this shamefaced way one of baser character; but such are the feelings towards one another of nobler souls and those by nature good; or of the inferior toward those they know to be their betters. Feeling thus toward Penelope, Ulysses remained faithful to her in his wanderings; whereas Agamemnon did wrong to his wife for the sake of Chryseis, declaring in open assembly that a base captive woman, and of alien race besides, was in no wise inferior to Clytemnestra in womanly excellence. [150] This was ill spoken of the mother of his children; nor was his connection with the other a righteous one. How could it be, when he had but recently compelled her to be his concubine, and before he had any experience of her behavior to him? Ulysses on the other hand, when the daughter of Atlas besought him to share her bed and board, and promised him immortality and everlasting happiness, could not bring himself even for the sake of immortality to betray the kindness and love and loyalty of his wife, deeming immortality purchased by unrighteousness to be the worst of all punishments. For it was only to save his comrades that he yielded his person to Circe; and in answer to her he even declared that in his eyes nothing could be more lovely than his native isle, rugged though it were; [160] and prayed that he might die, if only he might look upon his mortal wife and son. So firmly did he keep troth with his wife; and received in return from her the like loyalty.

Economics. Translation by G.C. Armstrong.

Agamemnon's behavior is negative not because it was illegal or widely judged, but because the man's infidelity threatens the wife's fidelity and, in this case, the nostos is in danger since it is the wife's role to guarantee it in the husband's absence similar to how Penelope did with Odysseus. Indirectly, if Iphigenia was a trigger for Clytemnestra's loss of maternal behavior, Chryseis and Cassandra were partly the cause of Clytemnestra's infidelity as a wife. Because, in the end, it wasn't worth it for Clytemnestra. She tried hard, but she thinks Agamemnon didn't try hard enough (regardless of whether he tried or not. In the case of the sex slaves, he doesn't really seem to care much, but it is known that Agamemnon didn't want to kill Iphigenia and was forced to. In Clytemnestra's point of view, however, he is still her daughter's murderer). So why care? Not only the curse of the House of Atreus, but Agamemnon's own actions ruined his House's stability and this is reflected in Clytemnestra's reversion of gender roles, an attitude seen as threatening to patriarchal family stability. This is a couple that exemplifies what is dysfunctional in a family, especially according to Ancient Greek standards.

[5] For comparison, consider how Euripides’ Agamemnon behaves in Iphigenia in Aulis when he describes the ostentatious clothing of Paris as “barbaric,” thus characterizing excess as a foreign characteristic: “Then there came to Lacedaemon from the Phrygians the man who, Argive legend says, judged the goddesses' dispute; in robes of gorgeous hue, ablaze with gold, in true barbaric pomp” (E. P. Coleridge).This is why Clytemnestra's pomp, the one who is purposely doing this to antagonize Agamemnon, brings her closer to barbaric behavior in Agamemnon’s opinion. Likewise, the idea of ​​barbarians as inferior is present in Iphigenia at Aulis, as the heroine Iphigenia declares that “And it is right, mother, that Hellenes should rule barbarians, but not barbarians Hellenes, those being slaves, while these are free”, reinforcing the xenophobic association of the Trojans as slaves by nature. In any case, the association of pomp with “barbarians” is again made by Agamemnon in Aeschylus, as Clytemnestra, trying to convince him to walk on the purple tapestry, asks him what he thinks Priam would do if he were the victor and Agamemnon replies “he would have set foot upon the embroideries, I certainly believe”, having no doubt that the Trojan king is someone of excess. In this regard:

TEXTO ORIGINAL:

Em Helena, o adjetivo polykhrýsos (no acusativo plural, polykhrýsous) é usado para designar os dómoi (construções) troianos. Em Ifigênia em Áulis, Agamemnon comenta o princípio da guerra, quando “O homem que julgou as deusas/ (assim é a história que os homens contam)/ veio da Frígia para a Lacedemônia vestido roupas de cores vibrantes/ e brilhando com joias de ouro, a luxúria dos bárbaros” [ἐλθὼν δ᾽ ἐκ Φρυγῶν ὁ τὰς θεὰς/ κρίνων ὅδ᾽, ὡς ὁ µῦθος Ἀργείων ἔχει,/ Λακεδαίµον᾽, ἀνθηρὸς µὲν εἱµάτων στολῇ/ χρυσῷ δὲ λαµπρός, βαρβάρῳ χλιδήµατι] (vv. 71-74). Esse excerto revela que o ouro é a “luxúria dos bárbaros”: a predileção pelo ouro é um costume do Outro e o distingue dos gregos. A helenista Helen Bacon afirma que Eurípides é menos detalhista que Sófocles e Ésquilo ao descrever as vestimentas bárbaras, embora o embate com o bárbaro esteja mais presente em suas obras, mas que o ouro em excesso, a riqueza das roupas, é um elemento distintivo do bárbaro (BACON, 1955, p. 87, 123 e 124), servindo, assim, como um marcador étnico. Muito ouro é sinal de excesso; por isso é que os bárbaros são caracterizados com o adorno de muitas joias (HALL, 1989, p. 80) Em Andrômaca, esse adjetivo (no dativo, polychrýsō) é novamente utilizado para designar os troianos (v. 2). Contudo, a própria Hermíone (v. 147-154), uma grega, usa muito ouro e a própria Helena se deixa seduzir pelo ouro de Páris, como vimos no excerto de As Troianas. Não podemos deixar de observar que Hermione é uma espartana.  Os espartanos, nas obras de Eurípides, são representados como pessoas que se assemelham aos bárbaros, como fica claro, por exemplo, na passagem em que Tíndaro recrimina Menelau, dizendo-lhe “Tornaste-te bárbaro por teres vivido tanto tempo entre os bárbaros” [βεβαρβάρωσαι, χρόνιος ὢν ἐν βαρβάροις] (Orestes, v. 485). Eurípides os representa dessa maneira porque eles são os inimigos dos atenienses na Guerra do Peloponeso: o grego pode voltar a um estado de barbárie, como acontece com os espartanos. Assim, representar Hermíone usando muito ouro ou depreciar Menelau (como acontece em Orestes ou Ifigênia em Áulis que, inclusive, ganha o primeiro prêmio na competição trágica em que foi encenada), é representar o espartano como semelhante ao bárbaro porque é digno de cometer atos bárbaros, sobretudo durante a guerra. Entretanto, por mais que Eurípides faça essas correlações, dada a natureza “temática e simbólica” de suas obras (BACON, 1955, p. 124), o troiano ainda é o referencial de barbárie: em Andrômaca Hermione afirma à personagem-título que “não há nenhum Heitor aqui/ nenhum Príamo ou seu ouro: essa é uma cidade helênica” [οὐ γάρ ἐσθ᾽ Ἕκτωρ τάδε,/ οὐ Πρίαµος οὐδὲ χρυσός, ἀλλ᾽ Ἑλλὰς πόλις] (vv. 168-169), pedindo para que ela não introduza costumes do seu “bárbaron génos” lá. Em Orestes, a caracterização do frígio como um homem medroso, covarde, que se prosterna e elabora um discurso defensivo para manter a sua vida corrobora seu pertencimento ao domínio dos bárbaros.

Páris Épico, Páris Trágico: Um estudo comparado da etnicidade helênica entre Homero e Eurípides (séculos VIII e V a.C.) por Renata Cardoso, pg 84-85.

IMPROVISED TRANSLATION

In Helen, the adjective polykhrýsos (in the accusative plural, polykhrýsous) is used to designate the Trojan dómoi (buildings). In Iphigenia in Aulis, Agamemnon comments on the beginning of the war, when “The man who judged the goddesses/ (so is the story men tell)/ came from Phrygia to Lacedaemon dressed in brightly colored clothes/ and shining with jewels of gold, the luxury of the barbarians” [ἐλθὼν δ᾽ ἐκ Φρυγῶν ὁ τὰς θεὰς/ κρίνων ὅδ᾽, ὡς ὁ µῦθος Ἀργείων ἔχει,/ Λακεδαίµον᾽, ἀνθηρὸς µὲν εἱµάτων στολῇ/ χρυσῷ δὲ λαµπρός, βαρβάρῳ χλιδήµατι] (vv. 71-74). This excerpt reveals that gold is the “luxury of barbarians”: the predilection for gold is a custom of the Other and distinguishes them from the Greeks. Hellenist Helen Bacon states that Euripides is less detailed than Sophocles and Aeschylus when describing barbarian clothing, although the clash with the barbarian is more present in his plays, but that excessive gold, the richness of clothing, is a distinctive element of the barbarian (BACON, 1955, p. 87, 123 and 124), thus serving as an ethnic marker. A lot of gold is a sign of excess; that is why barbarians are characterized by the adornment of many jewels (HALL, 1989, p. 80) In Andromache, this adjective (in the dative, polychrýsō) is used again to designate the Trojans (v. 2). However, Hermione herself (v. 147-154), a Greek, wears a lot of gold, and Helen herself is seduced by Paris' gold, as we saw in the excerpt from The Trojan Women. We cannot fail to notice that Hermione is a Spartan. In the plays of Euripides, the Spartans are represented as people who resemble barbarians, as is clear, for example, in the passage in which Tyndareus rebukes Menelaus, telling him, "You have become a barbarian by having lived so long among the barbarians" [βεβαρβάρωσαι, χρόνιος ὢν ἐν βαρβάροις] (Orestes, v. 485). Euripides represents them in this way because they are the enemies of the Athenians in the Peloponnesian War: the Greek can return to a state of barbarism, as happens with the Spartans. Thus, to represent Hermione wearing a lot of gold or to disparage Menelaus (as happens in Orestes or Iphigenia in Aulis, which even wins first prize in the tragic competition in which it was performed), is to represent the Spartan as similar to the barbarian because it is worthy of committing barbaric acts, especially during war. However, as much as Euripides makes these correlations, given the “thematic and symbolic” nature of his plays (BACON, 1955, p. 124), the Trojan is still the reference of barbarism: in Andromache Hermione states to the title character that “there is no Hector here/ no Priam or his gold: this is a Hellenic city” [οὐ γάρ ἐσθ᾽ Ἕκτωρ τάδε,/ οὐ Πρίαµος οὐδὲ χρυσός, ἀλλ᾽ Ἑλλὰς πόλις] (vv. 168-169), asking that she doesn’t introduce customs of her “barbaron génos” there. In Orestes, the characterization of the Phrygian as a fearful, cowardly man, who prostrates himself and elaborates a defensive speech to maintain his life corroborates his belonging to the domain of the barbarians.

Páris Épico, Páris Trágico: Um estudo comparado da etnicidade helênica entre Homero e Eurípides (séculos VIII e V a.C.) by Renata Cardoso, pg 84-85.

Finally, effeminization is a not-so-rare component of this kind of view of "barbarians," and so the way in which Agamemnon somehow equates feminine behavior with barbarian behavior isn’t unexpected. This is also an element of Orientalism, also associated with the vision of the "Other": “[...] Every one of them kept intact the separateness of the Orient, its eccentricity, its backwardness, its silent indifference, its feminine penetrability, its supine malleability [...]” (Orientalism by Edward Said, pg 206) / “No Jess than entrepreneurial visionaries like de Lesseps, whose plan was to liberate the Orient and the Occident from their geographical bonds,  French scholars, administrators, geographers. and commercial agents poured out their exuberant activity onto the fairly supine, feminine Orient” (Orientalism, pg 219-220).  This phenomenon is usually exemplified in Greek mythology by...well, Paris. He is generally understood as an archetype of the effeminate, pompous and lascivious barbarian, even if he obviously has more nuances than that (by this I mean that even ancient Greek authors gave some nuance to him despite the archetype). This doesn’t mean that a male character who takes on feminine characteristics or roles has this aspect NECESSARILY linked to ethnicity. For example, as I have said before, Jason in Argonautica isn’t exactly an example of masculinity and he is in no way associated with foreign imagery. In fact, the foreigner is his lover, Medea, and in Euripides' play Medea Jason prioritizes a Greek wife (Creusa) over her precisely because Medea is saw as barbarian.

[6] As a comparison, this arrogance in seeing themselves as authorities who demonstrate their power through enslaved people is also notable in the way in which, in The Iliad Book 1, Agamemnon says: “No, either the great-hearted Achaeans will give me a prize suited to my wishes, of equal value— or if they do not give one, then I myself will go and take either your own prize, or that of Ajax, or I will take and carry away the prize of Odysseus; and whomever I visit will be made angry; but, we shall consider these things later” and “so I will take Briseïs of the pretty cheeks, yes, your prize, going myself to your hut, so that you will discern how much I am your better and so another man will be loath to speak as my equal, openly matching himself with me” (Caroline Alexander). Thus he arrogantly exercises his power not only over Achilles, but over the entire army of which he is the leader, through which he could take the slaves of all. Slaves who were war prizes and were therefore linked with the recognition and honor of the soldiers, which implies that Agamemnon thought of himself as someone with the authority to despise his soldiers. Thus, in this context, these captives became instruments of power for the Achaeans in general, something that Agamemnon displays in this scene. The way Clytemnestra treats enslaved people is also reflected in her daughter, Electra, in Sophocles' play. Electra even specifically says that it is as if she is a "foreign slave", which in this post is the case of Cassandra and Hesione. An example: “[185] But the best part of life has passed away leaving me in hopelessness, and I have no strength left. I waste away without children and have no loving husband to champion me, but like some despised foreign slave, [190] I serve in the halls of my father, wrapped in shabby garments and standing to eat scanty meals” (Electra’s line. Translation by Sir Richard Jebb). In Clytemnestra's mindset, one way to abusively humiliate her daughter was to take away the treatment that a princess would receive and equipare her to someone who was enslaved. Again, enslavement or at least treatment similar to enslavement becomes a power play, as notably in the play Electra is antagonistic to Clytemnestra and questions her authority: “You run loose again, it seems, since Aegisthus is not here, who used always to keep you at least from coming out to the gates and shaming your family. But now, since he is absent, you pay [520] me no mind. And yet you have said of me often and to many listeners that I am a rash and unjust tyrant, who violently abuse you and yours. But it is not I who do violence; I only return the insults that I so often hear from you”. (Clytemnestra’s line).

Regarding the social consequences of slavery (besides the sexual, psychological, economic and physical violence, I mean), William M. Owens says:

In Slavery and Social Death, his seminal cross-cultural study of slavery, sociologist Orlando Patterson argues that slavery involves the systemic degradation and extreme social marginalization of enslaved persons, a process Patterson characterizes with the provocative metaphor of “social death.” [7] However, the ancients themselves may have thought of enslavement as a kind of death. The third-century CE jurist Florentinus commented in the Digest that slaves are called servi because the commanders spare the lives of those whom they take prisoner instead of killing (1.5.4, servare nec occidere solent). In a discussion regarding the inheritability of legacies, Florentinus’ contemporary Ulpian made an explicit association between slavery and death. A legacy would terminate in the event of the legatee’s death; a legacy would also terminate if the legatee should be sentenced to slavery, “because slavery is likened to death” (Digest 35.1.59, quia servitus morti adsimulatur). I have argued recently that the enslavement of protagonists in the Greek novels is frequently connected with their apparent, but false, death, a literary device known as Scheintod. [8]

Briseis and Andromache Enslaved: Sleeping with the Enemy in Greek and Roman Epic.

There are also things regarding the difference in how slavery was portrayed in relation to characters of noble origin, such as Cassandra and Electra (who live in a similar situation, let's say), and common characters. In Euripides' play Hecuba, for example, Polyxena doesn’t seem outraged by the slavery system itself, but by the idea that she, a princess, goes through it. In the fragments of the lost play Alexander, Paris wins a competition and this infuriates his opponents, who refuse to lose to a slave. As a way of pacifying the situation, Hecuba even considers having Paris killed. However, Paris' identity as a prince is revealed and suddenly he isn’t arrogant nor did he win unfairly; suddenly it makes perfect sense that he was the winner and that throughout his life he didn’t behave as an enslaved person was expected to behave. He is noble by blood, after all. In The Odyssey, where most of the enslaved are common people, they don’t receive this kind of attention. Any positive aspects of them are tied to how loyal they’re to the people who enslaved them, as is the case with Eurycleia, compared to how outrageous it is that a slave would dare betray the slaveholder, as is exemplified by Melantho.

[7] The scene I showed of Agamemnon jokingly talking about Hesione's situation as a sex slave already indicates this. But, as I think I didn't include Clytemnestra's misogynistic attitude in the excerpts presented, an example is when she says “and here she lies, his captive, and auguress, and concubine, his oracular faithful whore, yet equally familiar with the seamen's benches” when describing the body of the deceased Cassandra to the Chorus. Although Clytemnestra is a woman, the violence she exerts against Cassandra is partly gender violence. I think the iconography may also support this idea. In at least two scenes (scene one, scene two) the characters portrayed are identified as Clytemnestra and Cassandra, Clytemnestra appears to pull Cassandra's hair. The element of “pulling hair” is a visual device to indicate violence, present, for example, in the portrayal of the scene in which Achilles slays Troilus. This element, however, is famously known to characterize the various depictions of the Locrian Ajax's attack on Cassandra. This is interesting because this type of visual representation of Ajax-Cassandra was quite well-known and common, so I wonder if a portrayal of Clytemnestra-Cassandra that was a parallel to Ajax-Cassandra wasn’t intended. It wouldn’t be impossible, note how the murder of Priam by Neoptolemus seems linked to the murder of Troilus by Achilles in iconography (sometimes appearing on the same vase), suggesting that the Greeks saw a parallel and even a symbolic link between the situations.

[8] There is a frequently shared excerpt from “Cassandra and the Poetics of Prophecy in Greek and Latin Literature” by Emily Pilinger that I think sums up this aspect of Cassandra as a character who expresses resistance:

Cassandra’s life story tells of repeated marginalization in every respect: sexual, social, cultural and linguistic. Even in the extant ancient texts that tell her story she is generally found on the periphery of the narrative, rather than at its centre. Her rambling narratives, wandering as they do backwards and forwards through time and space, are the product a prophet who is always displaced, no matter where she is. Yet even as Cassandra is repeatedly victimized and marginalized, she boldly resists every act of oppression she faces. Her speech, in particular, both heightened and hobbled in its reach, is the weapon with which she asserts her authority.

I'm not including page number because, honestly, I haven't read this text since I've never found it available for free on the internet and therefore have no way of checking which page it is. But man, it looks good. Really sad that I can't read it. I suppose I should at least be glad that this particular excerpt was shared online and I was able to see it.

[9] In order to better visualize, here are the speeches of Tecmessa and Teucer that show their fear of Ajax's death as a possible trigger for their possible increased vulnerability:

[Teucer’s line] O face painful to look upon and full of cruel boldness, [1005] what a full crop of sorrows you have sown for me in your death! Where can I go? What people will receive me, when I have failed to help you in your troubles? No doubt Telamon, your father and mine, will likely greet me with a smile and kind words, [1010] when I return without you. Yes, of course he will—a man who, even when enjoying good fortune, tends not to smile more brightly than before! What will a man like him leave unsaid? What insult will he forego against “the bastard offspring of his spear's war-prize,” against your “cowardly, unmanly betrayer,” dear Ajax, [1015] or better yet, your “treacherous betrayer” with designs to govern your domain and your house after your death? So will he insult me; he is a man quick to anger, severe in old age, and his rage seeks quarrels without cause. And in the end I shall be thrust out of our land, and cast off, [1020] branded by his taunts as a slave instead of a freeman. These are my prospects at home. At Troy, on the other hand, my enemies are many, while I have few things to help me. All this have I gained from your death! Ah, me, what shall I do? How shall I draw your poor corpse [1025] off the sharp tooth of this gleaming sword, the murderer who, it seems, made you breathe your last? Now do you see how in time Hector, though dead, was to destroy you?

 [Tecmessa’s line] [485] Ajax, my lord, the fortune that humans are compelled to endure is their gravest evil. I was the daughter of a free-born father mighty in wealth, if any Phrygian was. Now I am a slave, for somehow the gods so ordained, [490] and even more so did your strong hand. Therefore, since I have come into your bed, I wish you well, and I do beg you, by the Zeus of our hearth, by your marriage-bed in which you coupled with me, do not condemn me to the cruel talk [495] of your enemies, do not leave me to the hand of a stranger! On whatever day you die and widow me by your death, on that same day, be sure, I shall also be seized forcibly by the Greeks and, with your son, shall obtain a slave's portion. [500] Then one of my masters will name me bitterly, shooting me with taunts: “ See the concubine of Ajax, who was the mightiest man in the army. See what menial tasks she tends to, in place of such an enviable existence!” Such things will men say, and so will destiny afflict me [505] while the shame of these words will stain you and your family. Show respect to your father, whom you abandon in miserable old age, and respect your mother with her share of many years, who often prays to the gods that you may come home alive. [510] Pity, too, my king, your son. Pity him the great sorrow which at your death you will bequeath both to him and to me, if robbed of nurturing care he must spend his days apart from you, an orphan tended by guardians who are neither family nor friends.

[10] Regarding Teucer's apparent attempts to be legitimate, even symbolically, and the protection offered by Ajax, there are several texts analyzing various scenes. Since I commented mainly on Sophocles’ Ajax, I wanted to show Mary Ebott's approach to the Homeric portrait (in which Agamemnon doesn’t have an antagonizing role in relation to Teucer, although he apparently uses the possibility of symbolic legitimacy as a motivating element for Teucer fight for his cause):

Before I deal with the relationship between the brothers in detail, however, let us look more closely at the speech in which Agamemnon calls Teucer a nothos. During Teucer’s aristeia in Iliad 8, Agamemnon expresses his delight at Teucer’s success and encourages him to continue. Agamemnon addresses Teucer in terms of his father, and also points out his illegitimacy. 280  στῆ δὲ παρ’ αὐτὸν ἰὼν καί μιν πρὸς μῦθον ἔειπε·         Τεῦκρε φίλη κεφαλή, Τελαμώνιε κοίρανε λαῶν         βάλλ’ οὕτως, αἴ κέν τι φόως Δαναοῖσι γένηαι         πατρί τε σῷ Τελαμῶνι, ὅ σ’ ἔτρεφε τυτθὸν ἐόντα,         καί σε νόθον περ ἐόντα κομίσσατο ᾧ ἐνὶ οἴκῳ· 285  τὸν καὶ τηλόθ’ ἐόντα ἐϋκλείης ἐπίβησον. He stood, going next to him, and addressed a speech [mûthos] to him: “Teucer, dear one, son of Telamon, commander of the people, strike that way, so that you may be a light to the Danaans and to your father Telamon, who raised you when you were little, and took care of you in his house even though you are illegitimate; bring him to glory, though he is far away.” Iliad 8.280–285 Let us notice first that Agamemnon is speaking a mûthos—that is, he is performing. [3] The elaborate apostrophe to Teucer confirms that this is a special form of speech, and in it he addresses Teucer with a patronymic. This reference to his father Telamon becomes the focus of his exhortation. Agamemnon is flattering Teucer after a fashion, claiming that Teucer has an especially—if unexpectedly—close relationship with his father. The phrasing of τρέφω plus τυτθὸν ἐόντα is used in cases in which someone is raised by someone other than a parent or to signal a close relationship to a parent. [4] Mentioning that Teucer was taken care of in Telamon’s own house reinforces the sentiment. Agamemnon also encourages Teucer by saying that he can make his father proud, a concern of Teucer’s that we will see again in the Ajax. Here as there the impetus seems to be that Teucer can prove that he is truly Telamon’s son and perhaps also repay him for his active interest in Teucer. In this light, Teucer’s illegitimacy becomes a crucial aspect of Agamemnon’s motivational speech. As he tells Teucer to be a light that brings glory, Agamemnon exhorts Teucer to come out of the shadows in which a nothos resides, and in which Teucer literally fights in battle.

It is indeed in his method of fighting that another image connected to Teucer’s illegitimacy emerges. The description and characterization of this method of fighting in battle recalls some of the same qualities we have already seen in other narratives about nothoi, especially that of being hidden away with their mothers. Teucer is described in battle as standing behind the shield of Ajax, moving out to shoot, and, once he has hit someone, retreating to the safety of the shield of his brother. Significantly, as Teucer returns he is described as a child placing himself under the protection of his mother.         Τεῦκρος δ’ εἴνατος ἦλθε, παλίντονα τόξα τιταίνων,         στῆ δ’ ἄρ’ ὑπ’ Αἴαντος σάκεϊ Τελαμωνιάδαο.         ἔνθ’ Αἴας μὲν ὑπεξέφερεν σάκος· αὐτὰρ ὅ γ’ ἥρως         παπτήνας, ἐπεὶ ἄρ’ τιν’ ὀϊστεύσας ἐν ὁμίλῳ 270  βεβλήκοι, ὁ μὲν αὖθι πεσὼν ἀπὸ θυμὸν ὄλεσσεν,         αὐτὰρ ὁ αὖτις ἰὼν πάϊς ὣς ὑπὸ μητέρα δύσκεν         εἰς Αἴανθ’· ὁ δέ μιν σάκεϊ κρύπτασκε φαεινῷ. Teucer came ninth, bending his curving bow back, and he stood under the shield of Ajax, son of Telamon. Then Ajax lifts his shield up and out. But the hero once he looked around, when he shoots and hits someone in the crowd, that man falling down on the spot is deprived of his life, but Teucer goes back, like a child running behind his mother, to Ajax. And he hides him with his shining shield. Iliad 8.266–272 The visual nature of this description paints a picture for us. While in battle Teucer, an archer, hides behind the shield of the fully armed warrior Ajax. Ajax’s shield is famous as being enormous and covering the whole body: it is described as large (mega sakos at Iliad 11.572 and Iliad 23.820, where Diomedes can only get at Ajax’s neck, so we imagine it covering the rest of his body), like a tower (11.485), and very heavy (Iliad 13.709–711 and 16.106–107). Thus, we can imagine either that Teucer is completely covered by it, so that he cannot be seen when he is behind it, or that his head appears next to Ajax’s above the shield, but it covers both their bodies, and so they might appear like the Moliones—as conjoined twins. [5] Teucer is marked out by this passage as a fighter who is covered by another’s shield as a regular part of his fighting (the iteratives dusken and kruptaske indicate that this is a repeated procedure for the brothers). [6]

To shoot his arrows, Teucer darts out after looking around, and when he has hit someone, he goes back to Ajax. At this point he is described as a child running to his mother. In fact, Richmond Lattimore translates the second half of Iliad 8.271: “like a child to the arms of his mother,” rendering the expression ὑπὸ μητέρα in an easily evoked image familiar from many different cultures. What we have seen indicated implicitly through metaphors in other narratives about nothoi, that a nothos is especially associated with his mother and is pictured as a perpetual child hidden away with her, is here made explicit, but in a simile. Because Teucer is especially associated with his brother Ajax, Ajax is then comparable to a mother and Teucer the nothos is still figured as a child. That Teucer hides behind the shield of Ajax tells us just how connected Teucer’s identity is with that of Ajax, since it is his shield that identifies Ajax both by the narrative and within the narrative. The formulaic epithets for Ajax have to do with his shield: it is described as Aiantos deinon sakos heptaboeion, Ajax’s terrible shield of seven ox hides, which Ajax carries like a wall (Aias d’enguthen êlthe pherôn sakos êüte purgon). [7] The shield-related terms that are also the names of Ajax’s father and his son are actually heard in descriptions of his shield: telamône (14.404) and euru … sakos (11.527). And this description of the broad shield of Ajax in Iliad 11 comes from the Trojan Kebriones, who identifies Ajax to Hektor (that is, within the narrative itself) by his shield: “Ajax, son of Telamon, drives on [the Trojans]. I know him well, for he carries the broad shield on his shoulders” (Iliad 11.526–527).

When Teucer is behind the shield of Ajax, then, his identity becomes one with Ajax. This equation or combination of the two with one identity is also seen in the use of the dual Aiante when it means ‘Ajax and Teucer’ rather than ‘Ajax and Ajax’. That this dual can refer to the two brothers was first recognized by Jacob Wackernagel and elaborated by Denys L. Page. [8] It is generally recognized that the meaning of the dual as ‘Ajax and Teucer’ is the older one. When viewed from a diachronic and evolutionary perspective, we can see that the Iliadic tradition transmits both meanings. [9] In fact, as I will now argue, the request by Menestheus for the Aiante to come and help him seems to be a self-reflexive comment on what Aiante can mean. When Glaukos and Sarpedon attack Menestheus’s position, he sends for help, asking for Ajax. In the passage it is said that he could see the Aiante, and Teucer (12.335–336). Gregory Nagy has argued that this use of the dual does not have to mean the two Ajaxes and Teucer, but that Aiante could mean ‘Ajax and Teucer’ and that Teucer is then made explicit by naming him. [10] His argument is borne out by the way the request is phrased. Menestheus tells his runner Thoötes to call Ajax, singular, or rather, both of them, and then explains that he would prefer both Ajaxes, but needs at least Ajax and Teucer.

        ἔρχεο, δῖε Θοῶτα, θέων Αἴαντα κάλεσσον,         ἀμφοτέρω μὲν μᾶλλον· ὃ γάρ κ’ ὄχ’ ἄριστον ἁπάντων 345  εἴη, ἐπεὶ τάχα τῇδε τετεύξεται αἰπὺς ὄλεθρος.         ὧδε γὰρ ἔβρισαν Λυκίων ἀγοί, οἳ τὸ πάρος περ         ζαχρηεῖς τελέθουσι κατὰ κρατερὰς ὑσμίνας.         εἰ δέ σφιν καὶ κεῖθι πόνος καὶ νεῖκος ὄρωρεν,         ἀλλά περ οἶος ἴτω Τελαμώνιος ἄλκιμος Αἴας, 350  καί οἱ Τεῦκρος ἅμα σπέσθω τόξων ἐῢ εἰδώς. Go, running, godlike Thoötes, and call Ajax, or, rather, both of them. For that would be the best by far, since utter destruction is quickly being made here. For such do the leaders of the Lykians oppress us, who even before have proved to be fierce fighters in strong combat. But if hard labor and strife has arisen for them there also at least let stout Ajax, son of Telamon, come by himself and let Teucer follow with him, since he is skilled with the bow. Iliad 12.343–350 So when the messenger addresses the “Aiante” to ask for help, two possibilities present themselves. Either the two Ajaxes will come, which Menestheus would prefer, or at least Ajax son of Telamon will, with Teucer following. What the narrative is doing is indirectly referring to the two possible meanings of Aiante: Menestheus asks for the dual (“both of them”) with the “new” meaning of the two Ajaxes, but says he will accept the “old” meaning of the dual, Ajax and Teucer. The composer is not confused and does not make mistakes about this dual, as some modern commentators would have us believe. Rather, the oral tradition can use both meanings of the dual, and can make explicit when Teucer is involved, or when Ajax, son of Oileus is meant, or when they both are. The poetry here shows how the tradition is aware of the suppleness of the shifting meaning of the dual Aiante.

This use of Ajax’s name to form the dual Aiante reveals its elliptical nature when it means ‘Ajax and Teucer’, as Nagy argues. [11] An elliptical plural names one element as a way of elliptically including the others, such as the plural of Crete at Odyssey 16.62, which should be understood as “Crete and everything that belongs to it.” [12] Nagy also gives the example from Sanskrit of an elliptical dual pitarau, which means not ‘two fathers’ but ‘father and mother’. In both of these examples, it is the “dominant” member of the group or pair that gives its name to the elliptical plural or dual. The parallel example from Indian epic of the dual “the two Kṛṣṇas” meaning the deity Kṛṣṇa and his mortal companion Arjuna, shows a similar construction of the dual carrying the name of the dominant party. [13] Thus the dual Aiante names the brothers using the name of the dominant brother, Ajax. In the example of the Kṛṣṇas, ोas well as in that of Castor and Polydeuces (which I discuss below), the opposition of dominant and recessive is expressed as immortal and mortal. The brothers Castor and Polydeuces are collectively called the Dioskouroi, ‘Sons of Zeus’, although in many versions this technically applies only to the immortal twin, Polydeuces. [14] The opposition of legitimate and illegitimate with the brothers Ajax and Teucer is a parallel contrasting pair. The shift may result from the fact that Ajax and Teucer have different mothers but the same father whereas Castor and Polydeuces have different fathers and share the same mother. [15] The “recessive” nature of Teucer is characteristic of his illegitimate status and is visualized in his hiding behind the shield that identifies his brother. That is, both the description of Teucer’s method of fighting and his inclusion in a dual form derived from Ajax’s name point to a definition of Teucer’s identity as the “recessive” brother of Ajax. But, as I argued above, this depiction of their fighting method and their inclusion together in the older dual form also creates a shared identity between the brothers.

Imagining Illegitimacy in Classical Greek Literature by Mary Ebott, pg 38-43. Online here.

[blowflyfag]

WORLD WRESTLING FEDERATION MAGAZINE : AUGUST 1993

FOCUS SHERRI NEEDS IT.

Transcript Below!!!

Nobody doubts that Sensational Sherri is a tough customer. But is she tough enough to handle that crazed spitfire Luna? Lots of people are asking that question. So are we at World Wrestling Federation Magazine. 

Sherri’s got a bug size edge over Luna. That’s quite obvious. But if you saw that brawl between the two of them on Monday Night Raw a while back, you know that Luna’s not awed by Sherri’s size. Luna’s smaller but tough like rawhide. And she’s tough mentally as well as physically. It just doesn’t seem to us that Sherri has as much inner toughness–not to mention meanness– as Luna. 

Still, we’ve got to admit that Sherri has been tested by any number of difficult situations. She’s been through the wrestling mill and was able to handle some real battles while managing the Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase and Macho Man Randy Savage. Her dedication to Shawn Michaels was painfully evident. She took a terrific shot with his mirror, but she was able to weather both the blow and his subsequent betrayal and come up swinging. 

However, it looks as if Luna’s toughness is more focused than Sherri’s. Luna seems totally intent on destroying Sherri and using her as a stepping stone to World Wrestling Federation fame. Not that Sherri doesn’t have it for Luna. She’d like to scratch out Luna’s eyes. But, from the beginning, Luna has been very much the aggressor, forcing Sherru into a defensive posture. 

Luna knows it, and she’s been working on Sherri’s mind. We think that Luna is trying very hard to force Sherri into accepting the fact that it is Sherri who must defend herself while Luna attacks. 

A key part of Luna’s plan is to destroy Sherri’s self-confidence, something that in the past has always helped her get through bad times. Not long ago, Luna sought out one of our writers and began spewing out insults and threats aimed at Sherri. Her purpose was blatant–intimidation of Sherri.

With a leer, Luna proclaimed, “From this day on, I am the vandal of Sherri’s mind. Sherri is just a fool swept up in her own hocus-pocus. She is a victim of my reality. I am the woman who will make Sherri’s thoughts dark as midnight with no hope of dawn.” Luna had concentrated all her venom on Sherri with a single mindedness that is frightening. Sherri, it seems to us, doesn’t have that kind of mental makeup, at least at this stage of her life She’s sometimes a bit giddy, she is ruled by her emotions and she lacks the cold, calculating logic of Luna–logic touched by lunacy perhaps, but that makes her even more dangerous as far as Sherri is concerned. 

Our advice to Sherri is to recognize what Luna is trying to do. Don’t let your emotions cloud your mind. Maybe even forget that hate you rightfully feel toward Luna for trying to destroy you. Be cool. Focus on the threat that she poses and eliminate it. That way, you’ll eliminate Luna at the same time.

[iguessjustcallmesunflower]

I'm a Chainsaw Unaliver, But it's Okay. You're Safe

Losing Sunshine was hard, don’t get me wrong. I was absolutely crushed when I was told of his passing. It took me awhile to bounce back from it. Not long after, I was blocked by a close friend, and that one was tough to swallow, too. Bit by bit, I came back to life, though. It didn’t happen overnight. I had to swallow down my grief and focus on the other residents who may have needed me more. For a while I was on the ‘lockdown’ units. I wasn’t able to control my sadness as well as I can now, and I was a liability. That doesn’t mean there weren’t any outbursts.  

I’m a Chainsaw Murderer, but it’s Okay. You’re Safe.  

The Chainsaw Murderer is one of my personal favorite psych residents. We’ll say Conner. He’s been on the men’s unit for as long as I’ve worked there. At his own request. He is one of the few reasons I adore working on the men’s hall. If he is cycling, if his meds are readjusting themselves to his system (when he takes them), he’s a riot. He’s a riot in general.  

When we had two residents who were always, and I do mean always, at each other’s throats, they’d get into physical fights. A fifty-something-year-old-man would pick fights with a temperamental eighteen-year-old, and when staff finally broke them apart, the older man who play the victim and cry that he didn’t do anything. More than once, the staff was in the crossfire. Conner was one of the residents we could count on to defend staff if needed. Dayshift is always more than staffed; if a fight were to break out, they had nothing to worry about, there would always be another staff member to have their back. Nightshift is kind of screwed. Two aids for the outside four halls, (most are independent and can do for themselves) and one on each of the units. We got the short end of the stick. We just couldn’t get anyone to stay on once hired.  

One night, fifty and eighteen broke out in a fight. Conner took fifty and shoved him down the hall, while I kept eighteen in the dining room. We got them separated, but in the time it took Conner to get to the dining room, I took a shove into a table from fifty. My ribs were still healing from the damage my ex-husband had inflicted, and I think eighteen realized that by a yelp I didn’t quite hide as well as I thought I did. His focus was immediately off his aggressor, off offense and on defense. He channeled his anger away and made sure I was okay and kept me calm while Conner kept fifty down the hall and called to other residents for help. A few came into the dining room; the rest went down to help Conner. The rest of the staff came back onto the hall after fifty had gone to his room, still shouting that he was innocent and the “staff bitch” shouldn’t have gotten in his way, I deserved what I got. For over ten minutes after the fight, Conner, eighteen, Chuckles, Tiny, and Happy Feet stood guard until the other staff finally came back to the hall to see what was going on.  

Conner is a special one, in the sense that he can make you laugh and raise an eyebrow while shaking your head. I’m not talking a polite laugh, I’m talking a belly laugh, one from your soul. One night, he sat across the table from me and asked if I wanted to smoke with him. Their smoke break had long since passed, and before I could tell him, he pulled a fake joint out of his pocket and we passed it back and forth. He’d cough, and make comments like “That’s some primo shit, right?” And I couldn’t do anything but stifle my laugh and agree.  

Conner didn’t just stop there though. He offered me an eightball once. I declined, obviously, and told him they drug test. He turned white as a ghost and whispered, “Residents too?” After reassuring him it was just staff, he was alright and back to normal. But man, those few seconds he was terrified. Of course, we’re a drug-free facility, but man, his imaginary joints hit the spot.  

My most favorite, and probably fondest memory of Conner is when he came out of his room one morning. My relief was an hour and a half late already, I was crabby, borderline pissed. Class the day prior, no nap, and coming in straight to work? I was a bitch. It had been a long night dealing with another resident who had tried his hardest to get sent out (he was instead gifted a 10:2 injection), I was nothing short of exhausted.  

The men’s unit has stray cats they fed that would wait outside. I think they even knew their smoke break times. No big, it was almost their next smoke break, not unusual to see them waiting. Conner comes out of his room, humming the ‘Star Spangled Banner’, sees two of the three cats outside the door, and immediately yells, “Guys! The cats are fucking!” And watches them while continuing to hum. It was exactly the laugh I needed. I belly laughed until I was snorting, then laughing harder because I had snorted, and couldn’t breathe. My face was red, I was struggling, and the dang chair almost tipped over because of how fast I had to put my head between my knees so I didn’t hyperventilate.  

The men’s unit has its challenges, but I don’t think anything can compare to Conner. He himself wasn’t a challenge; it was just a challenge to not laugh when he was around. He is absolutely the comedic relief on that hall. There was another instance when he was in the dining room. It was around one in the morning. I hear a revving noise, mimicking the sound of a chainsaw. While he’s never been a danger to himself, I still went to check it out. It was Conner, wielding an imaginary chainsaw, complete with sound effects. The conversation went something to the effect of:  

“You okay?”  

“Yup.”  

“Whatcha doin’?”  

“I’m a chainsaw murderer. Don’t worry, you’re safe.”  

Conner represented the best of that hall. He really did. It didn’t matter to him that he was a lifer. He felt safer back here. The staff made him feel safe back there, and in a literal way, that’s all anyone in that building wanted and needed. At one point or another, everyone just wants to feel safe.  

If more of the residents were like Conner, and less about starting drama, I’d have stayed. I really would have. Even after graduating and getting hired somewhere else, I would have stayed to work a few days every month. I would have. I would never have left without knowing how my lifers were doing. Even right now, sitting on a COVID hall, writing this, I’m watching one of my lifers I hold near and dear to my heart to make sure he’s alright. I tear myself up every single time I think of leaving them, because it will absolutely annihilate me when they pass and I’m not here.  

But you have to do what’s best for you. Even if that means sacrificing your worries and concerns for another person. I’ll always be welcome back at the facility. My boss has made that clear. However... I don’t see myself returning unless I’m dispatched out there. My residents will always be safe and warm. They’ll have full bellies. And that’s honestly all I can ask for. They’re the throwaways, the misfits, the unwanted, the strays, and yet they’re all, every single one of them, my loves. They’re so sweet in their own, backwards ways. They forever have my heart.  

[sebastansmut]

Insatiable.

You watched Steve with careful eyes as he once again made his way into your plushy prison cell.

By your calculations you had probably been locked away in his basement for about a week now, and each day becomes more confusing and frustrating than the last. The first few days felt like an apocalyptic type nightmare that you would discover as your reality upon waking up. Then just as the denial began to dissipate, things had certainly taken an unexpected turn last night when he had invited you up for dinner.

“Why did you ask me what it tasted like?” Steve questioned, his eyes squinting down at your sitting figure. He was holding a plastic grocery bag with what looked like clothes inside of it.

You took a moment to study his expression, trying to discern what type of mood he was in. He was hard to read but you adapted quick; So far you had managed not only to not piss him off, but a part of you felt like he had taken a personal interest in you- not just your meat. Trying your best to make your eyes as big and doe-like as possible, you looked up at him through your lashes. “Just curious, I suppose.” Though that wasn’t exactly the truth; This situation was very layered.

Squinting down harder, he bit his lip in contemplation for a moment before finally deciding to drop the grocery bag in front of you. “Well, I was thinking we could have dinner tonight.” His tone lowered as did he, crouching down in front of you. With his sudden proximity you could see the ferocity In his eyes. It made you gasp; Much to his pleasure. “And we can see how curious you really are.”

Though after he spoke he had yet to stand back up. Suddenly, his hand reached out for the side of your face, cupping your cheek as you held your breath. He smirked at the reaction and ran his thumb over your cheek in soothing motions. You found yourself melting into his touch with a deep exhale.

He chuckled, his deep voice vibrating through you and again, cursing an involuntary shudder to ring throughout your spine. “Mmmm, If I didn’t know better princess I’d say you were enjoying my presence.”

I mean, it’s not like you weren’t. As much as you hate yourself for admitting it, some part of you had grown attracted to your aggressor. Despite the preliminary seething anger and feelings of betrayal he had caused to stir up inside of you the night of your capture, you had also discovered an ever-growing infatuation.

While you must admit the idea of him slowly dismembering and consuming you was unnerving, he had yet to actually take any part of you. Not that you didn’t believe he wouldn’t, but as the days come and go you can hear the other girls faint screams and fruitless sounds of struggle as Steve would take them up to his operating room; Yet not once had he taken you from your cell.

Except for tonight. A voice rang in your head, looking down upon the bag in front of you. Inside was a nice, silky black mid-length dress and a few basic makeup items. No shoes, though. You thought, staring down at the same socks you had been wearing for almost a week.

But right now, you were trying to focus on the positive. While your situation was all but desirable, if tonight’s dinner went well, you had a feeling things were about to improve for you. If you had to guess, serial killers and crazed cannibals don’t often wine and dine their victims.

And you were right.

Disregarding the connotation that came with last nights dinner, you had to chalk it up to a success. In addition to finally bringing you some nice clothes with your dress, a simple sweater and skirt, Steve also threw in an assortment of basic makeup items in your bag. While it wasn’t everything you could have hoped for, the mascara and lip gloss he gifted you definitely worked to make your face look more sultry during your meal together.

You can admit you weren’t great at too many things, but you could always tell when a man was attracted to you; and the way Steve’s eyes never strayed from you didn’t go unnoticed.

They frequently darted between your eyes and your mouth, almost like watching you eat the meals he made got him off. It probably did. Your brain reminded you. Use it.

With slow motions you cut off another piece of the dish he prepared you, and brought it up to your mouth while never breaking eye contact. You could see the way his pupils grew and eyes darkened, prompting you to gently part your lips just ever so slightly; and take a small, careful bite. Trying to ignore what exactly it was that you were eating, you tried your best to make it look like the best bite you had ever taken.

From there, things got interesting to say the least. While the sexual tension between you two was palpable, nothing that Steve did or said gave you enough confidence that his attraction to you was stronger than his desire to consume you. At least, not until right now.

As Steve stood in front of you, you remained crouched down on your knees looking to at him through your mascara-coated lashes. “Yes?”

Though he remained silent, you could tell he was thinking about what to do by the way his jaw was clenching. Such a sharp jawline.

Still silent, he crouched down in front of you, his eyes burning holes into you. It almost worried you, the way he wasn’t speaking. His usual light banter was typically how you could tell he was in a good mood.

Trying your best to keep somewhat of a poker face, you cocked your head to the side slightly. “Steve,” you began, your voice gentle as possible,” are you oka-“

A sudden choke cut you off as Steve’s hand clamped tightly around your neck. “Shut up,” he breathed, “and let me think.” The devious look in his eyes sent a chill down your spine.

Fear began to pool inside your abdomen...along with something else. A small whimper escaped you as you took in the delicious situation. As much as he scared you, Steve enticed you even more. Besides the fact that you’ve always been an outcast and he was impossibly good at making you feel seen, his lifestyle was alluring.

And he was just a gorgeous specimen.

“You like that, don’t you?” He said through his teeth, bringing you back to reality. “I knew it. You’re filthy. You want to be daddy’s little whore.”

Your eyes grew wide, not believing the moment you’ve been craving ever since he tied you up on the first night was actually happening.

Not that you hadn’t had sex before he captured you, you had; and it was good, but Steve was playing a part back then. He acted with reservations, inhibitions.

You both did.

But now, now as you sit there relishing in the feel of his hand around your throat, you could both be free.

“Yes, daddy.” You choked out, your eyes closing as you threw your head back.

He scoffed and gripped your neck harder, a nasty smirk curling on his lips. “I fucking knew it.” His free hand hooked onto the waistband of your sleep shorts, “You pretended to be happy in your fancy corporate world,” then suddenly his hand plunged, “but , I know what you really want.” As his fingers teased their way into your folds you couldn’t help but to fidget at the sensation; Your eyes even rolled back for a brief moment. “You want to submit to someone. To me. You don’t want to ever use that pretty little head of yours for anything other than giving me pleasure.”

Steve began to gently spread his fingers and you gasped suddenly, relishing in the feeling. “Steve I-“

Your head was slammed into the wall behind you and the grip on your neck suddenly became threatening. “Bad girl,” he brought his lips up to your ear, “you know what my name is.”

Another whimper escaped you as you moaned out his new title. “Daddy, please.” His fingers began to move again, but just ever so slightly. You whined again.

“What’s wrong my dumb little bunny?” He teased, “please what?” The more gravely his voice got the tighter you felt yourself clench.

Oh god, he was gonna make you say it.

You tried to buck your hips around to attempt to create some friction but your efforts were thwarted when Steve held down your hips. “Nuh-uh-uh.” He clicked, taking his hand out from inside my shorts and causing me to let out a huge whine. The smirk that painted itself on his face grew wider at my reaction. “What is it, ____?”

You tried your best to throw your biggest, most pouty-expression on him. “Daddy, please stop teasing me.” Looking up at him through your eyelashes you silently pleaded with him. “I need to feel you.”

Suddenly you were pushed onto the floor, and as you laid on your back you watched the man above you grow hungry with desire. He quickly threw his shirt off over his head, revealing the impossibly perfect physique you had been craving since your last night together.

His teeth suddenly sunk into your neck with a delicious sting; coinciding with the return of his hand down your shorts, you gasped, and you felt his low chuckle vibrate through your body. “Mmm, you are so delicious.” Steve’s whispers danced across your neck as he nibbles on your earlobe. “My dumb, beautiful, complacent little cumslut.” One of his fingers teased your entrance mercilessly as you relished in the way he spoke to you.

It was easy for you to loose yourself like this. To just completely surrender your body and mind to Steve; Anything he wants, you’ll give him, just as long as he keeps touching you.

Once you felt his long finger slip inside you your eyes closed and a moan escaped from deep in your chest. You bucked your hips trying to meet his hand in a thrust.

“You want it rough, huh?” He chuckled, his eyes growing darker as he stared down with a sinister look. “What a dirty little slut.” Pulling his finger back out, you whined at the loss, and he started to tease your slick folds again, making him chuckle.

As another one of his fingers slid over, and across, but never inside you, a loud whine left you with impatience. You looked up at him, your eyes pleading for him to completely take over, but you knew he was having too much fun watching you squirm to make it that easy.

But this wasn’t your first rodeo, and it looked like it was about time to flip the script and pull out the tricks.

Releasing any inhibitions you previously held, each movement he made elicited a sultry moan or mewl, and tried your best to muster up the most sensual expression possible. Your eyes fluttered close when his speed picked up, and he finally plunged two of his digits inside you.

A high pitched squeak left your mouth at the sudden movement- a sound that drove Steve crazy. His smirk grew from ear to ear as he continued to plunge into you with the same delicious brute force that made you cry out the first time. Steve relished in the sounds of your moans bouncing off the walls. He loved to be the one to do this to you.

“_____, you really are irresistible.” His praises washed over you, adding to your euphoric state as he continued pumping his fingers into you at a steady rate. “I knew from the moment I saw you that I’d have to have you. I knew I’d have to make you mine forever.” Suddenly, his hand focused in on your bundle of nerves, applying a delicious amount of pressure in a circular motion that made you scream out in pleasure.

Your eyes rolled to the back of your head as you relished in the feeling. “Fuck daddy,” You breathes, arching your back to meet his hand,” you make me feel so fucking good!” Thrashing your hands around in their binds, you fervently thrust your hips up, trying desperately to create the friction you so craved.

A low chuckle vibrates through his chest as he finally obliged your requests, plunging his hand a bit deeper, and with just a bit more of the delicious force he was using. As he curled his fingers another sultry mewl rolled off your tongue, eagling him on. “You are such a nasty little slut, moaning for me.” Steve’s free hand cupped your face, “I bet you’ve been wanting this ever since you woke up chained to my floor.”

You nodded, a meek look in your eyes as you looked up at the handsome devil above you.

“And I love it when you fucking look at me like that, god.” He breathed out, his dark eyes locking with yours. “Like a beautiful, complacent little bunny. My bunny.” Your sexy new title rolling of his tongue was music to your ears and you let out another sharp squeal of joy, followed by a brief case of the giggles, making him smirk even more. As he picked up the pace you spread your legs open further, trying desperately to get him to fuck you.

“Daddy,” you whined, your eyes closed as he slipped his fingers in and out, and all over your slick pussy. “deeper daddy, please.”

Steve continued staining down at your possesively, watching how you responded so eagerly to every little touch. “You want it deeper baby?” He cooed, slipping in a third finger and beginning to pump incredibly, incredibly slow. An evil look came into his eye “I think you’re gonna have to do something for me first.” And before you could ask what, he took his fingers out of you and began to speedily undo his pants.

It felt like not a moment passed before you were faced with his impressive length, plopping promptly out of his pants and bouncing around deliciously.

Without much warning, he grabbed the back of your head and steadied himself as he shoved his dick inside your mouth, and down your throat. You moaned deeply as he began to push in and out.

“Fuck yes just like that.” He hissed, his mouth hanging open with pleasure. “Be a good little slut for me.”

You closed your eyes and relished in the moment; possibly the hottest sex you’ve ever had— and you haven’t even fucked yet.

Swirling your tongue and sucking extra hard for a little pizzazz that you hoped would impress Steve, you wished your hands weren’t still bound in their shackles so you could use them to help.

But it was kind of hot being tied up like this.

He suddenly jerked himself forward even harder, and held your head down to keep himself deep inside you for a long pause, causing a deep guttural moan to rise from your chest.

The vibrating sensation deliciously encapsulated his already throbbing member deep in your throat and Steve threw his eyes back in pure pleasure. He knew he had found what he had been looking for his whole life.

He pulled himself out with a pop, and saw a glob of saliva drip down your chin, enticing him to smear it all over your face as you continued to look up at him with those delectable “fuck-me” eyes. His smirk grew from ear to ear as he finally gave your chest a hard push, and as you fell on your back he quickly spread your legs open and crawled over you.

Positioning himself at your entrance, he placed a hand over your neck, and whispered in your ear,

“Are you ready for me, princess?”

xxxxxx

A/N: Ahhhhh guys I did it! I wrote ! If you liked it, comment, and there will be a part 2 ! If you have any other requests pls hit my ask box as it is open 😃

[yukisohmasmokesweed]

what are your opinions on the thought process that Shigure groomed Akito so he could have control over them?

i think this opinion is a massive oversimplification of akito and shigure's power dynamic that has roots in the latent sexist idea that men inherently have power over women, as well as the heteronormative idea that love between a man and a woman is inherently romantic.

first off, i think it's a pretty bizarre assumption that a child could have the wherewithal and foresight to enact a complex series of actions that relies on the aggressor having a working knowledge of children's needs and behavior and years of planning and execution. people like to cite shigure's childhood declaration that he "...want[s] to make that [love] last forever...to give it form and make it [his]" as a statement of intent to groom and control. not only is this an absurd thing to say about a child who can't be any older than 10, it disregards two vital facets of akito and shigure's relationship: the magic in combination with shigure's own trauma. in my opinion, these lines speak to the power of the bond and how shigure interprets it. hatori and ayame reject it, the former letting himself sink into despair over his lack of control and festers in resentment, the latter completely removing himself from family life in order to avoid it. shigure, however, copes with the curse by diving in head first; just like the rest of the zodiac, he knows that there is no way out, so he embraces the good things about it in order to cope. in addition to this, though we don't know much about shigure's upbringing, we can assume based on his short interaction with his parents that he came from an emotionally neglectful home (expanded on here), so the prospect of unconditional love from akito is something he craves. i think these are much more reasonable motivations for the beginning of shigure's obsession rather than positing that grooming a person he had never met before he even went through puberty was his goal.

with regards to gendered power dynamics, i think this take severely underestimates the amount of abuse shigure withstands from akito. the idea that shigure is somehow in control of the relationship is simply not true; their relationship is DEFINED by their power struggle, which is a game that akito was winning until the very end. it ignores that men can be abused (and we see him being abused by akito, both physically and emotionally), and it also ignores that, in many toxic and abusive relationships, there is not always someone who is purely a victim. shigure is undoubtedly horrible to akito back—he is vindictive, cruel, and cold towards them. he also knows full well that he is one of akito's most important emotional supports and uses this position to manipulate them. however, his gender and age does NOT give him power over akito. he must do as akito says, both because of the magic and akito's position as the family head. while their relationship is not necessarily a victim-and-perpetrator situation, the power dynamic clearly favors akito, who is literally all-powerful and a professional abuser.

with regards to the heteronormative idea that men and women who love each other is inherently romantic: the scene most often referenced for this opinion is the scene between teenage shigure and child akito in chapter 101 where he tells akito he loves them. i do not interpret this scene to be romantic whatsoever, and i actually think it's really weird and telling that so many people do. these are two people whose only comfort is one another and have known each other since early childhood; i don't think it's weird at all for shigure to tell akito he loves them in this situation. given fb's focus on familial and platonic love, how platonic love can transform into romance, and the fact that akigure is a parallel to kyoru, i interpret this scene as entirely familial/platonic.

i can understand why people have this opinion: shigure is a man, and he's older, and he is a manipulator. he gives people very visceral reactions because he's incredibly well written. his actions do also fit into some of the stages of grooming, but it falls apart upon closer look (source): he targets a child (ie, he becomes close with his cousin who he is supernaturally bonded to against his free will), he gains the child's trust (ie, they become friends), and he fills a need, in this case akito's lack of parental support, all of which he does as a child himself. he does not, and cannot, isolate the child because he doesn't have the power to—akito's status would prevent them from being completely isolated (a good example of akito's position inherently giving them more power). when it comes to sexualizing the relationship, we just don't know, there isn't enough textual evidence to argue either way. as for the last step, maintaining control, shigure does NOT try and make akito think he is the only person who can fulfill akito's emotional and physical needs. in fact, he's doing the opposite; he WANTS akito to meet and be changed by tohru, and he has no problem with akito's intimate relationship with hatori, who probably provides more emotional and physical support to them than anyone. you could argue that shigure is trying to isolate akito by driving the other zodiacs away, but i don't think shigure attempting to separate an abuser from their victims is what "isolate" is meant to reflect here. so, as we can see, shigure fulfills SOME of the stages of grooming, but i don't think they hold up to scrutiny if you're thinking about fb in a nuanced and world-appropriate way.

i can also see why people misinterpret shigure's bid for control as some sort of abuse, but he states that he wants to be equal with akito, not above. i do think there is an aspect of misogyny here; shigure's masculinity, and the role that masculinity grants him in society, is threatened by akito's control over him, but i don't think having fragile masculinity and making grabs for power because of it when you're in an abusive relationship is abuse in turn.

i'm not trying to absolve shigure of anything here. he is cruel, he is manipulative, and he does things to hurt akito on purpose whether it's in revenge or not. but i don't think shigure meets the standards of being a groomer, and i think this assumption, in addition to what i previously stated, is a symptom of fandom misusing buzzwords to gain points. it's not a nuanced view and i think a lot of it, in my experience, comes from projection; shigure, in all his awfulness, is extremely easy to project onto. however, i think that there are some things in fb that are just not analogous to real life, and that this aspect of akito and shigure's relationship is one of them.

[jokertrap-ran]

(光与夜之恋 Light and Night) Osborn’s 5✩ Inspiration: Black VS Black [黑色对峙] Date Translation (END 6: Heart-throb)

“Do you really think that I think there’s no helping you?”

*Light and Night Master-list | Osborn’s Personal Masterlist *Spoiler free: Translations will remain under cut *Join the Light & Night Discord (＾▽＾)~ ♪ *This 5✩ Inspiration has 6 Endings!! *Osborn’s tag will be #For Night, For Freedom *Requested by anon! You can check my on-going requests and more here!

✥ Choice: Heart-throb [心动] ★Night★

The cat caused an incident! What should I do?

⊹ Check the fallen model ⊹

I didn’t think too much about it, instead, hurrying over to where the car model had fallen. 

I picked it up and inspected the damages.

There was a long crack in the middle and several parts had broken off, scattering compartments all over the floor.

MC: Can this… still be saved…?

Just as I was thinking of how to break this bad news to Osborn, his low voice sounded from behind.

Osborn: What a big commotion.

Osborn: What? Did Mitt get into an accident?

I steeled myself and stopped covering the scene of the “car accident” that had occurred. I got up and handed him the car model that I held.

MC: The “culprit” knocked this car model down and fled.

Osborn frowned, reaching me in a couple of long strides.

He took the model and turned it around a couple of times, observing it with an indifferent look on his face.

MC: Is it too damaged to fix?

Osborn: I can just send it for repairs over the next few days. Let's go look for the cat first.

He calmly placed the broken car model back onto the shelf, taking a “let’s talk about this later” stance.

This model had been placed together with many other car models that looked new, pristine, and without a scratch. Not to mention, the glistening trophy that had been right next to it. A wild guess entered my mind.

MC: Do all the car models here hold some sort of commemorative meaning?

Osborn: Hm? Why do you ask?

MC: I mean, if they are some sort of special memento to you, then they should have been subjected to routine maintenance, right?

MC: If so, then you should also have the tools for it along with any part replacements, yes?

Thoughtfulness slipped into his eyes.

Osborn: You want to help me fix it?

MC: Yeah! That cat was just spooked real bad, and it wouldn’t do us any good if it got a bigger fright the next time and reacted even worse to it if we continued chasing after it.

MC: So, why don’t we leave the cat hunt for later and fix the car model back up first?

MC: Plus, I’m pretty dexterous with my hands. Wanna give me a chance to show you my prowess?

He raised an eyebrow, his pale green eyes glinting.

Osborn: Okay. Here's your time to shine.

Osborn stretched his arms over my head. For a while, all I could see was his broad chest. I felt my breath hitch.

Then, he suddenly lowered his head. His face was incredibly close to mine.

The scent of black cedar assaulted my nose. I blinked. My brain was lagging.

MC: Oh, okay.

Osborn: Take it.

My gaze slid to his hand. Turns out that he’d just been fetching the toolbox that had been in the cabinet above the display shelves.

Osborn: I'm waiting.

I took the toolbox from him and opened it.

I was greeted by a multitude of components in all shapes and sizes. Some of the tools in it were similar to the ones I used when making my designs, but there were also some that I’d never seen before.

I picked up a tool that looked like a cross between a pen and a knife, looking to Osborn for advice.

MC: What's this?

Osborn: An exacto knife. It’s used to cut off excess parts of the joints when required.

MC: Mmhm, okay. I've remembered it.

Osborn: This is a cutting plier, screw sanders, tweezers...

Osborn picked out a couple more tools from within the box and introduced them to me.

Osborn: Anything else you can't recognize?

MC: Not for now.

Osborn: Okay. Then let's remove the damaged compartments first.

MC: Okay.

First, we used a screwdriver to remove the damaged compartments. Then, we replaced them with brand-new spare parts.

This race car model was really different from those being sold out in the market. It was made with exquisite craftsmanship, and its internal makings were far more complicated than I'd initially thought.

When it was time to add colours to it, Osborn prepared the required paints and set them out in measured portions onto the palette with ease and finesse. He smoothly handed me a brush.

Osborn: Do you know how to touch up the paintwork?

I hesitated.

MC: I've painted outfit designs before for design needs, but I'm sure it's completely different from actually painting a model.

MC: I don't know if it works the same…

Osborn: See my demonstration first then.

He dipped his brush into the red paint, carefully painting it onto the model. It came out very uniform and smoothly layered.

I'd stared at him, watching him do it a couple more times. But, no matter how much I watched the same process, I couldn't quite grasp it. Even if I tried mimicking his actions, my paintwork always turned out patchy and uneven.

Osborn laughed, placing his hand over mine and directing the brush I held.

He directed my brush, guiding me on how I should be painting the compartment with a focused look on his face.

It was all serious and business, except… My focus was inevitably drawn towards his movements and breaths.

Osborn: Get it?

MC: Mmhm...

I tried my hardest to remember the way he did it and followed suit. The end result was much smoother than what I'd been accomplishing before.

After the finishing touches were in place, I raised the model and showed it to him.

MC: Like… this? This should be done now, right?

Osborn: Not bad. You've got standard.

My spirits soared at having received such direct praise from him.

MC: Since I'm such an apt learner, how about enlisting my help again the next time you make another model of a race car?

Osborn slightly raised a brow as he contemplated my paint-stained hands.

Osborn: I'll think about it.

MC: Does this even need to be considered?

MC: I'm pretty quick to pick up hands-on skills, not just fixing up models of racing cars! So I'm a fast learner no matter what it is!

MC: You can test me again if you don't believe me!

Just as I was boasting about my assets in an attempt to make myself appeal to him, Osborn's calloused fingers suddenly brushed against my cheek.

The rough texture of the pads of his fingers made my heart skip a beat.

MC: What's wrong?

Osborn: You got something on your face.

I doubtfully touched my face. Suddenly, I pulled my hand away to find my fingers stained with red paint.

Astonished, I look at Osborn's hands, only to find even more red paint on them…

MC: Don't tell me you drew something on it!!

Osborn: What gives?

MC: Hey! You're biting the hand that feeds!

Osborn: Whatever do you mean by that?

Osborn: I'm just adding some blush and colour to your face. Makes you prettier.

I was taken aback, nonetheless.

MC: Okay. Then, I'll add some colour to your cheeks for you!

Osborn: Whoa, hey! Easy!

MC: Nothing you say now is gonna stop me!

I swiftly picked up the brush and dipped it into the paint set out onto the palette, rushing straight for his face.

Osborn quickly reared back, but I subconsciously followed right after his retreat.

And this was how I toppled him down to the ground with him doing nothing to defend himself.

Osborn was astonished. He'd attempted to get back up, only for my other hand to immediately dart out to pin him down by the shoulder.

MC: No moving!

Surprise flashed through his eyes, as his usual impish smile crawled its way back up his face.

Osborn: Wow, what an aggressor.

MC: That's right. Now's my time to retaliate!

MC: No use trying to escape!

I circled the air with the brush, purposefully observing his face to make my mark.

MC: Hmm, what do you want me to draw on you?

Osborn seemingly accepted the fact that he was going to be an inevitable victim of mine since I already had him "pinned" down. He folded his arms behind his head, giving my question some serious thought.

Osborn: An air drawing?

MC: Dream on!

Osborn: Mercy, please. I beg you.

MC: It's too late to be begging me for mercy.

MC: Hmph. Just watch me improvise on the spot~

Just as I was rummaging through my brain for a glimmer of inspiration, a light bulb suddenly lit in my head. 

I had an image now: Mitt as it was fleeing.

❖☆———————————★❖

I leaned down, supporting myself on Osborn's shoulder. 

Following the curve of his jaw, I applied colour to his skin, drawing a colourful cat.

Osborn had his guard down, seemingly content to watch me work my "artistic talents" with him as the canvas.

The surroundings lapsed into silence.

I was drawing it on with such rapt concentration, yet I was still able to notice his long black lashes and hear his familiar steady breathing ever so clearly. I could somewhat feel the slight rise and fall of his chest.

I vaguely registered our close proximity to each other. My heart seemed unable to settle with the fact that we were so close to each other that our breaths intermingled, clamouring loudly within my chest.

I blinked twice, finishing off the last stroke before getting up and putting some distance between us.

❖☆———————————★❖

Osborn: Done?

I nodded.

Osborn: What do you think of your work of art?

Huh? Is he asking me to rate my own work?

I quickly gave him a once over, only to realize that I'd been distracted at the end, so it'd turned out a little funky. I nearly laughed at it right then and there.

MC: Ahem. I think it's not bad! You've got a big kitty on you now!

He waggled his brows, lazily raising his body halfway back up. His features were suddenly enlarged before my eyes once more as he leaned closer.

Osborn: Happy now?

MC: Mmhm… Pretty happy.

Osborn: Then let me tell you something that'll make you even happier.

He moved even closer, his words gently flowing with the air, wrapping themselves around my ears.

I shuddered as a scalding heat started creeping up my neck.

MC: ...What is it?

Osborn: The other kitty's right behind you.

Mitt: Meow~ Meow~

The last of his words were drowned out by the sudden meowing that sounded.

I snapped out of the trance of the moment, much to my embarrassment. Mitt had actually slinked behind me somehow without my knowing!

MC: Right, we should hurry and catch it before it gets up to no good again!

I quickly climbed off Osborn, flushing red as I fled.

A light chuckle sounded behind me in response.

❖☆———————————★❖

By the time we found Mitt, it was already sprawled out beside the TV cabinet with its paws stuck underneath, fiddling with something in the gap.

Recalling the layout of his living room, I quietly tip-toed and whispered my idea into Osborn’s ear.

MC: I’ll take left, you take right. We’ll pincer it.

Osborn: It’s already here, so there’s no need to go through so much trouble.

MC: Huh?

Osborn: Just wait and see.

Osborn took a couple of long strides forwards in the direction of the cat.

I followed after him, quietly approaching the black cat. However, my attention was suddenly caught by the photo frame that the cat had just been playing with.

Picking up the frame, I carefully observed it…

In the picture were Osborn and a couple of familiar-looking teammates. They’d all had an arm around each other’s shoulder, beaming as they held the same trophy.

Their faces all look much younger… Is this a photo from years ago?

The race car in the background had a red and white body with an orange rear spoiler, similar to the car model that Mitt had batted off its perch earlier.

MC: Don’t tell me… Was that car model made based on this race car?

I was lost in thought when a sudden meow broke my train of thought.

Osborn: Still wanna run?

❖☆———————————★❖

I raised my head to see Osborn with both arms raised, gently holding up the cat in question.

The bright and warm sunlight shone in through the window, carefully outlining his chiselled side-profile and the contours of his muscles.

Although Mitt had already been caught, it still glared daggers at Osborn. It was as if a cat and a human were engaged in a silent battle with each other.

After a while, Mitt seemed to register the fact that it’d lost, meowing pitifully in that soft cry once more.

❖☆———————————★❖

Osborn: Oh? You know how to beg for mercy now, don’t you?

Osborn carried Mitt to the little corner we’d set up for it. Mitt seemingly gave up on the game of chase, lowering its head to eat the cat food that we’d prepared for it since the very beginning.

Watching it eat its food so obediently, I couldn’t help but kneel down and stroke its round head.

Mitt cast a doubtful glance at me, but turned its head, indulging nuzzling itself into my palm.

MC: !

MC: I touched it! How cute…

Osborn: You’re that excited from just being able to touch it?

MC: Yeah. It looked so naughty that I thought I wouldn’t be able to touch it today.

Osborn: It’ll come running up to you for a lick or two so long as you have food.

MC: Then I MUST let it try the wet cat food! Maybe it’ll get closer to me!

I sped towards the sofa and picked up the packet of wet cat food, purposely waving it before its nose.

It couldn’t resist the offered temptation after all. Its soft fluffy paws batted at my wrist as it opened its mouth and cried its pleas.

MC: Okay, okay. Any more and you’ll end up a piggy.

I recalled something after putting away the remaining food. I picked up the photo frame that I’d set down earlier and handed it to Osborn.

MC: Oh, yeah. By the way, this was the photo frame that Mitt was batting with under the TV cabinet earlier. I don’t know where you normally display it.

He took the photo frame from me and glanced at it.

MC: And on that note, I realized that the car in the background looks very similar to the model we just pieced back together. Are they the same?

Osborn: Oh. The model was made according to this race car.

Suddenly, I recalled having seen the highlights of all his races before.

The year and month in which he’d won his first racing championship seemingly coincided with the time that this photo was taken.

My guess had tumbled out of my lips before I could stop it.

MC: Is this the car you drove when you won your first championship?

He quirked a brow.

Osborn: Why, you know me so well.

MC: Then… Is that car model something of a memento from that race?

Osborn: You can say that.

MC: I heard somewhere before that that car’s engine had to be changed out every two races. It shouldn’t be in use anymore, right?

Osborn: The engine exploded on me during that race, so it was only my companion once.

Osborn spoke lightly of it, but thinking of how exciting and terrifying it must have been back then, I couldn’t help but feel my heart sink a little.

MC: I’m glad the car model’s alright. Otherwise, it’d be such a pity for such a meaningful memento to get damaged like that.

Osborn: So I should thank you properly. Is that it?

MC: Huh? Thank me?

He chuckled lightly, his eyes sliding from the photo to my face. He had a slightly flippant look on his face.

Osborn: Weren’t you the one who made that car model more meaningful?

MC: ……

I was taken aback for a bit. I looked at him in surprise, only to find his gaze calm and gentle. There was a smile glimmering within his eyes.

Osborn: You were pretty clever when fixing the model. Why so stupefied now?

As his words sank in, I felt my heart flutter as I realized what he’d meant by having made it more “meaningful”. Something seemed to have filled my heart. It was a little flustering, yet also a little sweet.

I worried my lip and gathered my courage together before looking up to meet his eyes.

MC: Then, that makes me happier now…

MC: Although I didn’t get the chance to sit in on the race of your first championship and cheer you on…

MC: I was still able to piece the model back together and play a part in that precious moment of memory.

Inexplicable emotions surfaced in Osborn’s eyes, and in the next second, his big hand ruffled my hair with a vengeance.

Osborn: There’s really no helping you, is there?

I shyly ducked my head, but I couldn’t stop the corners of my mouth from rising.

At this moment, the sun had enveloped us both within its warmth.

The cat quietly ate by our feet, letting out a purr of satisfaction every once in a while.

Slowly but surely, unspeakable feelings started to bloom and spread within the confines of my heart.

I hope, from the deepest points of my heart, that time would always be eternally frozen in this beautiful moment.

⊹ ˚✩ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ∘◦ ✥ ◦∘ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ✩˚ ⊹

✥ Choose your Ending:

END 1 | Choice: Do Nothing [都不做]

END 2 +3 + 4 | Choice: Call Out [呼唤] ⊹Speak⊹

END 5 | Choice: Listen [倾听] ❖ASMR

END 6 | Choice: Heart-throb [心动] ★Night★

❖☆————— ⊹ For Night, For Freedom⊹ —————★❖

Previous Part: (Prologue)

[bigskydreaming]

Okay, so its no secret that I detest fandom’s obsession with Dick’s temper and how its one of his biggest character flaws, and that I looooooooooathe how much people fixate on that fight with Donna in NTT, but I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen anyone post the FULL scene with Dick and Donna rather than just selectively pull the panels in which Dick makes Donna cry, so I’ve included them all here so people can decide for themselves.

And keep in mind, as the last page I’ve included shows (with it taking place a mere THREE issues after this Dick and Donna fight)....Dick was quite literally NOT IN HIS RIGHT MIND at the time. This was a PLOT point, NOT a CHARACTERIZATION. The entire ‘road’ to this storyline was Dick deliberately and consciously being written as being more and more OUT of character, to SHOW that something was literally wrong with him. 

This includes his reaction to Kory when she got married on Tamaran - literally the issue BEFORE this fight with Donna, his abrasive attitude to Alfred when he visits Bruce, Alfred and Jason at Wayne Manor briefly upon returning to Earth, and this fight itself.

And lol, all anyone around him wanted to do was talk about how he needed ‘tough love’ from them and to be lectured on everything he was doing wrong rather than a SINGLE ONE OF THEM bothering to ask themselves - let alone him - WHY he was behaving so erratically and again, LITERALLY out of character. Why, no matter what personal problems he was having, they were having him react THIS way, lashing out at everyone around him, when Dick has ALWAYS had a lot of personal shit going on and yet this is absolutely NOT his standard, in character way of USUALLY dealing with that.....

Despite people both deliberately and unknowingly calling back to stories whose entire POINT is showing this behavior as out of character....

And using it to describe THAT VERY BEHAVIOR as being IN character.

So, please read these pages with that context in mind, keeping a firm awareness of the fact that Dick is literally battling mental conditioning he’s unaware of through all of this, while Donna on the other hand is NOT. And has NO excuse for the things she says and DOES.....

And yet, this fight only EVER comes up in demonstration of DICK’S temper and how its this great character flaw of his, and NEVER to say, DONNA has a temper and this is one of her character flaws.

Please ask yourselves why the fuck a fandom has spent thirty years since this issue framing this fight as Dick’s fault, proof of how cruel and awful HE can be, instead of....how even his closest friends are TYPICALLY characterized as having no patience with him when he’s acting out of character....even when there might very well be - and usually IS - a REASON he’s acting out of character, beyond ‘he’s going through some shit.’

And ESPECIALLY ask yourselves why the hell this fight comes up so often with it being cited - and panels provided as proof - that Dick makes Donna cry with the things he says (again, while brainwashed).....

But with ZERO mention of the facts that:

a) Dick told Donna from the outset that he wasn’t in the mood to have this argument and asked her to leave HIS apartment

b) Donna refused and said they were going to talk about this now whether he liked it or not

c) Donna - a character with super strength - physically manhandled Dick into staying put when Dick still insisted he didn’t want to do this now

d) Dick AGAIN makes the effort to de-escalate or break off the argument because he knows or feels strongly its going to get even LESS civil than it already has been, given the mood he is (and not knowing that this mood is again, at least partly due to turmoil from constantly fighting against brainwashing he himself isn’t even aware of)

e) When Donna STILL refuses to do him the COURTESY of listening to his repeated efforts to NOT DO THIS RIGHT NOW, Dick tries to go past her and leave his OWN apartment just to get away from her

f) Donna STILL refuses to allow this, physically shoving him back again to keep him from going anywhere until SHE’S good and ready for him to

g) only THEN does Dick go on the offensive (but also kinda the defensive, if you consider the fact that he’s repeatedly expressed HE DOESN’T WANT TO BE HERE OR DO THIS WITH HER and has tried more than once to get her to go or remove HIMSELF from the situation)....and its only at THIS point that Dick says the admittedly cruel things that make Donna cry and are the source of the ONLY panels from this whooooooole scene that I’ve ever seen provided in posts about how this demonstrates Dick’s temper

h) Donna - far from being a helpless victim of Dick’s cruel temper, the way its usually framed - responds with her OWN offensive, not just in the form of words, but - and I can not express enough how fucking uncomfortable it makes me that Dick is so often framed as the aggressor here, the one with the temper, the one OUT OF LINE when this happens in the same scene - Donna responds to what Dick says by LITERALLY PUNCHING HIM THROUGH A WALL

i) Donna then REMAINS just as much on the offensive as Dick himself, but whereas Dick’s offensive is in the form of words he’s saying to Donna - after being pushed and provoked despite repeated attempts of his to de-escalate or disengage (and again, WHILE brainwashed) - Donna’s offensive remains in the form of PHYSICAL AGGRESSION, as she repeatedly tries to attack HER FRIEND with her super strength, clearly not holding back as we see her demolishing the parts of HIS apartment her attacks actually connect with

j) Despite Donna changing the nature of their conflict from being just about words to being one of outright physical aggression - well not really changing, if you keep in mind the fact that Donna used physicality to force Dick to remain in the apartment long before they reached this point to begin with - Dick STILL makes ZERO effort to respond with any physical aggression of his own, despite her having ALL the advantages in a straight up physical conflict between them, and the fact that even ONE of those hits from her is going to do FAR more damage to him if it connects than ANYTHING he could do to her ever would, and instead, Dick remains committed to simply EVADING her physical attacks while doing zero to reciprocate with anything other than words

k) the conflict only concludes when Dick FINALLY - and despite Donna’s repeated and continued efforts - manages to get out of his OWN apartment and leave just to get away from her - as he was trying to do ALL ALONG

l) in the aftermath of the conflict, we only see Donna sitting on the floor of his demolished apartment, clearly upset but with no indication if that has ANYTHING to do with anything SHE actually did throughout it or if she’s still only focused on what he said to HER, whereas we’re treated to a full internal monologue from Dick where he’s clearly confused and upset with his OWN behavior and trying to justify it and make sense of it even just to himself, which again, plays right into the fact that from here he sets out to find Raven, which leads him straight into the clutches of the Church of Blood as it turned out he wasn’t sneaking in but rather being lured back in via....

m) the mental conditioning its revealed Dick’s had implanted thanks to them all along, and the ultimate SOURCE of all his erratic, OUT OF CHARACTER, and volatile behavior over the past year, as he’s been battling against it internally with no idea that’s what he was doing or why he was having dramatic mood swings and shifts in priorities and decision-making

But again.....the only thing that EVER gets mentioned about this entire conflict, and the only pages which are ever posted from it....

Are the ones where Dick makes Donna cry.

So. Yeah. THAT, and the fact that this particular fight is FOUNDATIONAL to the whole “Dick has an awful temper and lashes out at even his closest loved ones at times” characterization that’s influenced not just fandom, but other later writers of canon itself....

All without ZERO mention or awareness of the larger overall framing or even the fact that there were TWO people involved in this fight, but only Dick has the excuse of “I was literally brainwashed at the time tho” for what he says and does and he STILL wasn’t the one who initiated, escalated, repeatedly refused to take what the other wanted into account, and oh yeah, physically attacked him....

Like. This would be why I 100% can not stand talk of Dick’s temper and how its one of his greatest flaws, while literally every single character can be shown to be written as an asshole at times or having a temper when lashing out or hurt - such as say, Donna in this very same scene....

And the much, MUCH more consistent and frequently appearing pattern in canon is NOT Dick being this volatile jerk who often makes his friends and family the victim of his temper....but rather Dick himself is the victim of THEIR tempers and physical aggression, with this repeatedly and consistently glossed over and DELIBERATELY EXCLUDED FROM THE NARRATIVE in order to just focus SOLELY on Dick’s part of a fight and whatever he did or said that was wrong.

Also also also, just to reiterate, like I coincidentally (or is it a coincidence) have to keep doing with the Ric Grayson arc to get people to remember to be sympathetic to how DICK is affected by all this rather than how he’s VICTIMIZING his loved ones through all this, ALMOST FORTY YEARS AFTER THIS SCENE (lol my how things have changed).....

OH YEAH. AND HE WAS BRAINWASHED THOUGH.

Anyway, the pages in FULL, below the cut:

Skipping ahead to a mere THREE ISSUES LATER and the brainwashing reveal:

[odysseywritings]

The Right Leader

A woman with dark brown hair and brown skin looked out the window in a white dome of a building overlooking the sunset-glazed green hills. Her name was Mary Rauda-Gold of the Union HQ for Earth. An ambitious, careful public servant, she earned trust from even initial naysayers. Her experience in community, business, and political spheres turned her to a qualified, eager role as the leader of the Earth Front.

She researched former presidents carefully before First Contact and after. Rauda-Gold had no special interest to bribe her, or a family in the public sphere to fear blackmail for. A rare human who achieved a bucket list full of chances early on in life. A ravenous student for history, she came into the presidency asking a question. Can one be a good leader and a good person to so many people? The books detailing the “greats” with their disconnect to the very people who elected them bombarded her with numbing dilemmas on human and alien issues alike.

Early on, she made a promise to avoid mistakes of President Grayson, whose committed attempts to be openly aggressive while privately appeasing aliens set course for turbulent relations between human and alien. This led to the first aliens invading Earth, the jellyfish-like Rizen, to learn important resources for acquiring and populated areas for destruction and enslavement.

For three decades, Earth had been the sole territory of one race. But the vastness of riches made it appealing to more. Thus, the scramble for Earth intensified as more uprooted flora and drained water. Not only the Rizen, but the cycloptic Corax, the cyborg Teknos, the coral-like Brantius, and others plundered Earth with the doctrine being that all aliens mustn't attack each other in the name of peace.

Fearing for the future of the planet, the fragmented states communicated as much as possible. This unity was a temporary yet urgent coalition of democratic leaders, autocrats, religious leaders, and researchers banded together to come up with ways to gain independence. No single leader engineered a clear path for victory, and the struggle for a constant idea made people weary and frustrated. In the midst of voices, the loudest prevailed.  

The urgent Long’s voice resonated with the crowd. Tiptoeing the wire that could lead to falling down the side of warmongering populism or tepid reforms, she raised enough fervor to unify people into tangible goals. Spy networks to spread fabricated war plans of one alien race against another. Technology taken from the slain aliens, initially unobtainable from their aerial superiority, could be learned and used against the original wielders. Within a short duration, covert attempts at fighting the invaders soon gave way to a snowball effect of more procured technology that included spacecraft. It was still lopsided, and the humans’ wit and knowledge of their home took years for momentum to fully hit the aliens’ mother planets.

A string of news carried across the stars as sympathetic aliens protested the wars and demanded Earth remain free. Opinions from the politicians carried the stench of condescension, saying humans could not rule themselves and needed assistance. But time soured that notion, with using mother planets’ money and lives to continue a hated invasion. Not long until then were other aliens combating each other for more dominance over Earth regions.

As extraterrestrial grips loosened and more technology scattered, Long and others could now engage in more significant guerrilla warfare. The snowball caused an avalanche of further embarrassment to the aliens. More were pulling out, focusing on the more dangerous alien adversaries. A galactic war broke out that involved weaponry that saw nuclear missiles being used as often as bullets. The destruction caused an alien race to force humanity to serve on their side. Long refused.

The Old World of space untangled as civilizations older than Earth’s fell in shambles. In the interim, rebellious aliens appeared on the surface to assist humans in recreating their technology. They were pessimistic of humanity, but its resolve in defying total subjugation gave them hope in toppling their imperialistic leaders.

Long succumbed to disease, but her legacy emboldened many despite her ruthlessness toward humans she thought were collaborating with invaders, real or imagined. The next successor in that region, was the soft and meticulous Slavik. Far from charismatic like Long, his calmness and stability sent a plan of continued technological learning and creation that was difficult to argue against aside from the most hawkish people or collaborators. Willing to be more trusting of alien rebels allowed him to gain more info on how they think and act, making it easier to predict further combat incursions.

This acceleration to a new space race was often narrow minded, and Slavik took other matters with apathy and relegated it to staff advisors. Still, he was honest about his goals and was wary of becoming aggressors on earth or in space. He was concerned about protection and elf-reliance, and that boosted their capabilities as aliens continued slaughtering each over for so long that Earth was forgotten about.

As a the tech boom led to force fields, anti-craft weaponry, spacecraft, and peacetime aids such as machines and medicines to repair tissues, the relative security of Earth led to various social concerns rising for people who had time to breathe and think. The foreigners who stayed and aided humans were treated with growing disdain as their efforts were taken for granted in post-war highs. Tensions bubbled as accusations of aliens taking up resources, not working hard enough to earn their stay, or dismantling the societies grew.

Various leaders like President Dickson used these tensions to distract from other matters as he benefited from rising power. Others like the dovish Jacobs made amends and wanted to pursue good relations with the now war-torn alien civilizations, yet his efforts did not go far enough to make lasting benefits due to making sure the remaining alien superpower would not see him as weak or naive.

What followed were a series of leaders who drifted further away from goodwill policies and proper rebuilding of Earth to focus on more weaponry  and acquisition of other worlds for resources, whether or not they were inhabited. Now the conquerors, humans were split between two futures. Security out of supremacy? Freedom out of trust?

At the height of Earth’s dominance, the Union’s people elected Rauda-Gold. She promised to  be firm in national and human interests, standing strong against numerous foes internally and externally. Born in a generation used to surplus, relative galactic safety, and harboring no knowledge of alien oppression, she listened to reasonable qualms without strong bias. Her values were for humanity and earth, with the rest being flexible.

Rauda-Gold steadily relinquished control of planets with native inhabitants to the detriment of the national interests of the already rich. The goodwill took years to fully settle, but it was a start toward a transparent galaxy. A rusting minority segment of the planet Teknos were given medical supplies and aid during a brutal civil war, but she denied arming them to avoid a full fledged involvement. As the Teknos government continued its atrocities, Rauda-Gold cut off trade with a grain that was only mass produced in Earth. With the civil war dwindling resources, the government called for a ceasefire and to discuss with the minority in earnest.

The most perilous occasion was when the Rizen, that old enemy of humanity, invaded planet after planet. Medicine, technology, and weaponry spread to Rizen opposition. Frozen assets and embargoes were mere dents in the war machine oiled by the lie of a former glory. She would not risk human or alien lives unless she herself would fight, yet her age and symbolic importance would make her role limited lest she be captured as a hostage. She communicated as much as possible to troops through camera drones, but it never felt close enough to being there and getting a sense of the trouble. As more atrocities continued, including the gaseous bombs that filled cities afar and at home, people clamored for war each day. She waited and talked to advisors, no matter how much time she spent grieving in private.

She would not create a draft and only allowed a strictly volunteer service to fight. With the utmost protection, the soldiers helped beat back the tide of the Rizen until they were beaten down and succumbed to treaty settling. Still, lives were lost. A fact that would haunt her even if the galaxy was spared further bloodshed. Rauda-Gold did all she could to pay for veterans and their families the same way she did with victims of natural calamities.

Earth’s respect soared, and the withdrawal of colonies led to the planet being self-reliant with a boost in trade from allied planets. The federation of planets were motivated, or goaded for some weaker tyrannical leaders, to endorse a stronger policy of life-form rights. She wanted to be inspiring like Long, prosperous like Slavik, and focused on honest peace like Jacobs. Aware of their shortcomings and their environments, Rauda-Gold knew she would be compared and dissected in the future by historians of all species.

But the issue of war always stabbed at her. At what point does a war become just? The idea of a pacifist president split by an idea of a savior president. The bloodless leader replaced by the hero leader. She planned to resign after her term ended, yet she had more time to make peace with such a choice and image. She contributed to diplomacy more than before, and made sure to rebuild bombed houses with her own hands. Rauda-Gold felt the charred substance of steel and wood and alien materials. All reminders of what a perfect leadership could have avoided. But such desires must be tempered by the environments they dwell in. New generations of alien and human children can breathe and enjoy life in a galaxy more principled against war. Yet she fears her action may inspire future leaders to ignore all that and lionize her war efforts as something to be achieved wholesale without nuance or care. An ongoing fear she must mete out as the twilight of her shining dream dims.

[the1918]

Maybe I’m seeing misogyny where there isn’t any, I’m just feeling a way about this. Chris is a grown man who did something stupid. It sucks and it’s embarrassing but that’s it. No one is slut shaming him or asking what else did he expect when taking that pic. Ya know, how young women are talked about when they have their pics stolen. I feel bad for him and I’m glad people are flooding the tags, but the reaction would be so different if a woman did the same thing and it’s really annoying me.

I won’t answer anymore asks about Chris’s accident after this, but I do want to answer this one because I think it is a really, really important take that extends far outside of this one incident.

Nonnie, you’re not imagining misogyny where there is none. A double standard does exist and it is absolutely misogynistic. It would be so different if Chris was a woman. Here we have an attractive man whose private photos were made public, and the internet (mostly) reacted by turning it into a joke. Chris may have been embarrassed, but he received almost no ridicule, he wasn’t slutshamed, and he certainly didn’t have his body critiqued and insulted by complete strangers. None of that would have been true if Chris were a woman. It is more than okay to be annoyed or even angered by that knowledge.

But you mention that you’re still glad people are flooding the tags despite your anger at the double standard, and that’s what I want to hit on here. I think Nonnie’s mixed reaction to this is exactly what we need in the world, for this kind of situation and many others, because it is important to discuss, address, and actively seek to fix those larger, problematic issues while still maintaining compassion for all people in all situations.

When you are struggling with something, there is always going to be someone out there who is struggling more than you. If you got mugged while walking down the street and had your wallet stolen, there are people just down that same street who are sleeping there because they are homeless, and they have no wallet to steal. Someone is always hurting more—but that doesn’t mean your hurt is invalid. It doesn’t mean something bad didn’t happen to you. It doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to be treated with compassion.

This goes both ways. Hurt can be relative, sure—but it’s not a competition. Nothing good can come from saying, “the struggle you’re going through is not as bad as my struggle, so you shouldn’t be upset.” We can be aware of the larger hurts and want to address them with higher priority while not invalidating people who “have it better”.

I want to make it clear that I do not mean this to apply to all situations the exact same, especially “minor” problems when compared to very serious issues of life and death. The plight of the white woman getting catcalled by a group of white men on the street should not be compared to the experience of the black transwoman who gets assaulted by those same men in the alley. But, even in this example—when it’s undoubtable that the first woman’s experience can’t compare to the second’s—both women are victims in some way, of the same aggressors, living in the same toxic culture. In the hypothetical example I put here, the answer is to prioritize our focus on aggressively proliferating anti-racist ideas and actions while also promoting intersectional feminism and seeking to end rape culture. The black transwoman needs our protection and our humanity first, yes, but that’s not mutually exclusive with helping other women.

Sorry if that got a little heavier than I meant it to. To bring it back around, Chris’s experience of embarrassment here is obviously less serious than what a woman would have experienced, and far less than any of the other example situations I have mentioned. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve compassion from us, his fans.

TL;DR— Be critical, but always have compassion. The way to show someone more humanity is not by showing others less. We can acknowledge differences in experiences while not invalidating anyone’s hurt. In fact, we can often find ways to address both.

Love doesn’t divide, y’all. Love multiplies. ❤️

[denimbex1986]

‘...Fans hoped that The Falcon and the Winter Soldier would allow Bucky to work through his victimhood; a meaningful project both in-universe and out. But this does not transpire onscreen. Instead, the show turns the trauma that Bucky suffered into trauma he caused. The story retrofits a previously nonexistent agency into Bucky’s past as the Winter Soldier. Rather than telling a story of survival and recovery, TFATWS retcons Bucky’s history in order to more comfortably deal with it.  

...In a six-episode arc, he transforms from a victim into a victimizer who “deserves” his shame. Against the backdrop of his absolute suffering, the audience is asked to agree that he is at fault for his trauma. And thus, that the single avenue open to him is atonement. But there is only one term for this sudden shift of culpability onto a trauma survivor: victim-blaming.

...In truth, Bucky should be allowed to conclude that he didn’t harm anyone. That, in fact, his name belongs on a list of those deserving of absolution. But the narrative denies him this.

‘...TFATWS makes Bucky complicit in his time as the Soldier. Bucky always uses “I” statements when it comes to his past (e.g. “The power I gave her”), a retroactive injection of agency completely at odds with Bucky’s position as a powerless prisoner at the time. The story itself seems to back this up; Bucky even says, “Hydra used to be my people.” In a new flashback, he kills an innocent man and utters, “Hail Hydra.”

...In the described scene, he not only speaks, but affirmatively declares his allegiance to his captors. The emphasis on his alleged agency feels intentional, underscored by depictions of the violence Bucky was forced to commit in lieu of visuals of his decades-long torture.

...The show casually re-traumatizes Bucky and uses the sequence as proof of his culpability. In Madripoor, Bucky is forced to violently perform as the Winter Soldier while his body is, in essence, trafficked by Zemo. But the show doesn’t indicate that it understands how harrowing it is for a victim of repeated assaults to relive their trauma.

Here, Zemo asks Sam to consider how little it took for Bucky to “fall back into form,” implying that Bucky somehow wants to be the Soldier again. Zemo’s comment stings of language used to discredit victims of sexual assault. Bucky’s assault, while never expressly sexual, was overtly physical. His body was used without his consent, and again by Zemo in the scene. But the show ignores this discussion in favor of emphasizing Bucky’s villainy.

...nearly every character serves to establish Bucky as either unstable or rightfully guilty. And Bucky’s therapist, Dr. Raynor, becomes the most insidious voice that upholds Bucky’s place as an aggressor.

...The show depicts therapy as a condition of Bucky’s contrived pardon—moreover, a punishment. Bucky’s story arc is analogous to a prisoner of war, an assault victim, someone who has been trafficked. Meanwhile, Marvel prefers to depict him as a willing soldier in the field. Thusly, the narrative won’t allow him to access this trauma...

...Raynor should be duty-bound to tell Bucky that he is not guilty, regardless of what Bucky fears. Instead, Bucky’s aforementioned “amends” list seems to come from therapy; the rules that Bucky follows to “make amends” are Raynor’s as well.

The doctor condones Bucky placing himself into traumatic situations without equipping him to process that pain. Once again, the show offers no indication that it’s aware Bucky has anything to heal from, only things to apologize for. In its depiction of a hurting man and his therapy, the MCU is damagingly cavalier.

...Bucky’s therapist victim-blames her patient, participating in the narrative gaslight of the audience. This is one of the most egregious messages the MCU has ever espoused. For anyone who has suffered trauma or engaged with the sensitive project of mental health, it is painful to witness.

Acknowledging trauma and seeking help for issues of mental health still carry great stigma. At the end of the day, TFATWS reaches a large number of people, many of whom are likely facing hardships of their own. Thus, the decision to broadcast therapy as a combative, invasive punishment that is all too willing to blame a patient is truly an irresponsible choice.

By refusing to acknowledge Bucky’s pain or to focus on his healing, the show reinforces cruel and false real-world narratives about the roles victims play in their suffering, and about what blame should fall onto those who have been hurt. If the show was not prepared to discuss Bucky’s trauma, they should not have featured him at all.’

[go-go-devil]

Summarizing the Papas’ Actions with a Single Word

This is more of a writing exercise for myself, but you can see it as one of my headcanons. I just want to flex my interpretations of a significant trait that each Papa has to help me better shape their overall characters. Enjoy!

Papa Nihil: Compulsion

Nihil’s mind has always been a slave to his desires. As long as this old Papa’s able to convince himself that he wants something, he’s going to get it one way or another. While this go-getter attitude initially got him great success in his heyday, it was also the key component in his many downfalls. Whether it be Sister Imperator leaving him due to his unrestrained lust for the women around him, his sons losing their fondness for him due to his flippant treatment of them over the years, or dethroning his youngest for the sake of taking his place as frontman only for Imperator to place a man he couldn’t care less about in the spotlight instead, the list goes on and on.

This reckless behavior can and has often made Nihil feel guilty, but by the time he decides to take a few steps back and assess the situation, it’s almost always too late for him to fix it…

Papa I: Authority

If there’s one thing that Papa I wants to be remembered for, it’s for being someone that others look up to, a powerful figure that someone could both stand in awe at and who would not be afraid to come to them for guidance. The man is wholly obedient to his role as Papa and relishes in leading his flock toward his view of Hell. This is a trait that any good Anti-Pope should have to their subjects, but the truth is that Primo sees it more as something reassuring to himself.

He is acutely aware of his lack of charisma and hindered social skills, especially compared to his brothers and father, and many times he’ll feel that if it weren’t for him being an heir to the papacy that no one would have wanted him as their Papa. And so he finds solace in taking the role as a mentor to others, as a way to both flex his wealth of knowledge and to better communicate to those around him.

Papa II: Control

On the surface, Papa II’s need to always be in control of a situation doesn’t seem too far off from his older brother’s need to display his clout. The difference here, however, comes from scale. What Secondo wants is control over all aspects of both his job and himself: being able to stop an aggressor with either his words or (in worse case scenario) his fists, the ability to regulate his own emotions as not to show weakness nor lash out in anger, keeping a firm hold on both the clergy and those close to him, etc.

While this may seem nothing short of authoritative, his reasoning for this actual comes from a noble place. For much of his early life, Secondo had found himself victim to abuse by several authority figures in his life, and even now the scars inflicted on his mind are still far to deep to heal. He only wants this form of absolute control to protect himself and his loved ones from ever having to suffer like that, even if it makes him seem cold and even cruel to those who don’t know him personally.

Papa III: Love

Above all else, Papa III wants nothing more than to truly feel loved by those around him. “Well, this shouldn’t be an issue!” one might say, “He’s by far the most beloved of all the Papas, his charm alone can provide him with a constant supply of lovers, and even the metal scene recognized his talent enough to give him a Grammy. He must have a surplus of love to go around!” Unfortunately it’s not so simple.

Terzo is a very emotional man with a mind running a mile-a-minute, and because of this his brain seems to greatly amplify feelings of both joy and misery. Just a single word of condemnation and mockery can lower his spirits to a place where not even the thousands of praises from his fans can pull him out of, nor could the superficial affection of a one-night-stand. Oftentimes he cannot effectively calm himself due to his mind convincing him that he has no control over his perceived faults, and so he needs the support of deeper connections, whether they are friends or family or a partner, in order to reassure him that he is worth more than just his title.

Papa IV/Copia: Excellence

From as early as childhood, Copia always felt that he could never quite fit in with any of society’s carefully marked social groups. Perhaps it was his awkwardness combined with nervous tics, or his instinctual lack of empathy for most others (besides animals), or maybe it was how he could never seem to focus on the task at hand but instead daydream about his future desires? No matter what it was, it always made him feel like a lesser person, and he hated it.

Eventually he developed the idea that the only way for others to truly appreciate him was to gain the skills necessary to give him the high ground over his peers, whether it be something as minuscule as perfecting a hobby to show off his skills or as ambitious as attaining higher power in life. Countless times he’s worked himself to exhaustion, even to the point of physical pain, just to prove his worth to the clergy, and every failure brings him such fear that it leads him to more “desperate” resorts as a means of rebounding back to success.

Even with this worrying level of perfectionism, this does not make Copia an inherently horrible person. He doesn’t like to see others as tools for his conquest, especially if they’re nice to him and/or respect his boundaries, and ultimately does want to make personal connections. However, the same can’t be said for people whom he considers his enemies, and now that he’s risen to Papa, there’s a good chance that he’ll use his power to “adjust their attitudes” toward him…

[naughtypastas]

I can give so many asks. Scale of 1/10, how protective are all the creeps with their chubby so.

!!! You've done me good buddy!!! And a disclaimer: this is my first time writing for Hoodie or Masky and my knowledge of them isn't perfect, also due to the previous... Controversies. Around certain characters, if I was ever asked to by their creators (which let's face it is very unlikely considering how broad the internet truly is), I will stop writing for them and edit out/delete asks involving them. Just a warning, but will probably never happen.

Protectiveness, 1 being lowest 10 being highest. Jeff is tricky for me bc I see two versions of Jeff (a younger one and an older one) that vary very differently from each other.

Jeff - Depending on how old you see Jeff to be. If you see him as a young 20s kind of guy, he's like a 5, he's angry like 24/7 so expect anyone who does or says anything negative towards you to die, but that doesn't always correlate to him being actually possessive- it's just an excuse lol. However older Jeff (30s+) is a LOT more protective. He's not so much angry but like he fully accepts the fact that he loves his s/o by that age so he's a lot more openly protective. Probably like an 8.

BEN - 5. He's more playful when it comes to people who are mean or nasty to you, he likes to hack their electronics and fuck with them, but won't become actually aggressive unless it's something real bad

Eyeless Jack - 3. Dude doesn't really care. Like he's not a jealous type or at least not an aggressive jealous type. He might just "accidentally" steal the person's kidneys tho.. just y'know... They just so happened to have been his next victim!!! Totally coincidental!!! Tooootttaalllly.

Laughing Jack - 10. He's a bit interesting cause you might catch him in a "good" mood where he's more playful than downright scary, but either way it ends the same. The person who bothered you is no more.

Slenderman - 2. Unless it's a severe situation, he won't really take action directly. He knows humans are dumb and do dumb things and he's above that... Unless, again, it's real bad or you're especially bothered by it.

Bloody Painter - 3. He gets grumpy about it and will definitely be angry- and hell if it's bad enough he might take action- but otherwise he, like Slenderman, kind of would rather focus on making you feel better instead of enacting revenge.

The Puppeteer - 7. He's willing to go the extra mile to make a person suffer in your name. Very jealous, too, which does not help at all.

Ticci Tobi - 6. Two ways; either he will cling onto you and whine about it, or he will hunt the person down. The second option is a whole less pretty, ain't it?

Hoodie - 4. Not usually aggressive aggressive, and won't outwardly react to it, but definitely will be very bothered by it. Like Helen and Slenderman, he may just try to help you over it instead of enacting revenge... Ah who am I kidding? The fuckers gone. He just won't act on it until you've calmed down and or have gone to sleep for the night.

Masky - 6.5. Now here's an angry boy. He fumes about it and the end result is NOT gonna be pretty. After he handles the aggressor, you're gonna need to dote on him and calm him down.

Feel free to request specific pastas that I didn't get to!

[peacefulapostlearchive]

@osurvive​  || tension 

💢  :    your  muse  picks  mine  up   &   carries  them  over  their  shoulder .  + reversed

his head snaps up the minute he hears that familiar voice yell out from corridors away  . it’s not in distress but ANGER just as it always is with the teenager  . ellie is NEVER made a victim and more the aggressor in some cases but only when provoked  .  or so he’s sure of at least  . “ shit . . . “ he mutters before letting his feet lead him quickly down the hall until her voice starts growing louder  .  

someone has pissed her off to the point that she’s threatening them in curse words paul wouldn’t ever mutter  .  he sighs as he throws open the door  ,  the only people to look his way are those on the sidelines , but he pays no mind to them .  his focus is on the girl  that was left to her own devices for a little too long around people who don’t understand her  .  “ ELLIE!” he calls but she’s too deep into her fury that she barely reacts .

 the next step as much as he’s going to hate the repercussions later is when he goes up to her grabs her and fully throws her over his shoulder  .  paul may not look like much in stature but he is far stronger than he looks  .  simply grabbing her by the arm would have resulted in her throwing punches so it was best to avoid that in this moment  . “ i can’t leave you alone for a second can i  ??  “ 

[goldenornstein]

👑 💘 ⚠

Shipping meme thingy || accepting.

How do you feel about royalty AU’s or Arranged Marriage AU’s?

Pretty neutral. Royalty AUs are fine and well, but I tend to go for a more political focus when I write those, rather than romance. Which connects with Arranged Marriage AUs --- in Ornstein’s case that kind of arrangement would be yet another duty to fulfil. Zero lovey feelings. Just this thing that must be done in order to set a political alliance, or something of the sort. He would be civil to his spouse, yes. Faithful too. He'd also have sex with them, if they consented, but only if  producing biological children was mandatory. Now, aactually going with the whole trope where he falls in love...? I don’t know, I don’t see it happening given his approach to duty. I guess it’d depend on the partner, though. 

What is a romantic AU you’ve always wanted to write, but haven’t yet?

I’m not really into purely romantic AUs. But if there’s a good plot and it has room for an interesting relationship, then yeah! Let’s go for it! 

What is a ship (or type of ship) that you have no intention of writing?

Anything downright non-con. Adults and minors. Aggressor/oppressor and victim/oppressed. Romanticized toxic/abusive relationships trying to pass as ‘kinky’ dynamics. I don’t know... there’s a lot of stuff I’m just not here for. 

Also, I don’t think I could ever write Ornstein and DS protagonist/a human. It just makes zero sense to me, given my portrayal of the character. Plus there’s the whole fictional racism thing in between which makes me kinda uncomfortable. So there’s that.  Ornstein and Smough is also a default nope --- even if I could eventually write it, but only if there was mad chemistry and a great plot.

Insta-shipping is also a nope. Actually, writing romance just for the sake of it isn’t my thing at all.