#literally groomed into it bc of his status

[customboytoyz]

the neil gaiman articles so fuckingggg upsetting. the cover of vanity fairs quote being "call me master" is so fucking stupid and irresponsible its infuriating me

[kipperlillyclerickiller]

Exploring Unconventional Bad Kid/Ratgrinder Parallels

Obviously, when Brennan introduced the Ratgrinders in FHJY, some clear parallels in class composition popped up. Every member of the Bad Kids has a corresponding Ratgrinder who shares their general build/role in the party and (presumably) some of their psychological issues as well. But when I was rotating the characters in my mind, as one does, I realized that there were some other interesting character foils to be pointed out. I've listed them below under the read more, along with more detailed thoughts on what aspects of the characters are highlighted with each comparison.

Also I spent way too much time working on this, so I'm including a DNI banner on here (made by @kipperlillyforpresident, who also graciously let me bounce ideas off in the DMs)

Kipperlilly Copperkettle/Gorgug Thistlespring: the first parallel that i came up with. they both have issues around rage that are belied by their physical appearance, with klck being a tiny halfling who experiences an excessive amount of rage that doesn't "benefit" her adventuring-wise as she's a rogue, while on the hand, gorgug is a half-orc who started out as a barbarian in part because it is what he's physically predisposed to be, despite actually having an extremely gentle personality, only transitioning to artificer in his junior year. both have relatively normal middle-class backgrounds but still have issues; klck's anger issues regarding not having a tragic backstory are well-documented, but gorgug also has baggage that made him minimize his presence at the beginning of his high school career, stemming from growing up in a household where rage wasn't really considered at all bc it's an emotion so antithetical to the thistlesprings' way of existence (to be clear, i think the thistlesprings are great parents; it's just that they didn't really know how to address this aspect of gorgug's development)

Ruben Hopclap/Fabian Seacaster: black boys showing off the sensitive side of masculinity. last episode established that the ratgrinders are living in ruben's mansion, which he presumably bought with his rockstar money and lives in without any parental figures, meaning that he and fabian have similar living situations and probably similar issues with trying to avoid loneliness that result in attention-seeking behavior (ruben's music career and fabian's max legend status). finally, the turncoat potential: fabian has admitted to listening to ruben's music and beefed with gertie bladeshield against the rest of the bad kids. meanwhile, ruben's experiencing some sort of guilt/reluctance with the ratgrinders' plan as expressed through his interactions w/ wanda childa. i believe they can bridge the bad kid/ratgrinder divide and i want them to be friends sooo bad

Ivy Embra/Fig Faeth: most straightforward similarity is their sylvan elf heritage, but i think that the similarity that matters the most would be their image/self-portrayal, with ivy being a sort of mean girl with an edge, similar to the type of person that fig wanted to portray herself as in freshman year (even though fig is actually much more soft-hearted/sentimental). this comparison is honestly more of a what-could-be scenario that sheds light on potential alternate facets of fig's story bc 1) ivy being an elven ranger is pretty similar to sandra lynn but has the edgy persona fig only took on after she found out about her tiefling heritage and 2) we have literally no idea what's going on with ivy's emotional landscape. still, this comparison compels me, especially in light of finding out how porter and jace groomed the ratgrinders, and the way that sandra lynn got used by bobby dawn when he was an adventurer. it's like a dark mirror of what could have happened to fig if the circumstances were worse (and the fact that bobby dawn is a teacher in aguefort rn and was also collaborating with porter to an extent.... the cycles are cycling!!)

Mary-Ann Skuttle/Riz Gukgak: just little guys. specifically smaller races often stereotyped as villainous and acting in the service of the party rather than for themselves, though while we see that riz acts for the party out of genuine passion, mary-ann seems to be more apathetic. both are disconnected from regular teenage social norms, generally unbothered/unaware of looking "uncool", and more focused on their personal interests, as mary-ann has her plushies and riz has his mysteries (and his business cards from freshman year lol). even when riz joined all the school clubs this year, he did it for the sake of kristen's campaign/getting scholarship money to help his mom more than for his own reputation. another prominent similarity is a heavy compartmentalization of emotion: we don't really know what's going on with mary-ann but she hasn't shown any emotion even when trying out for bloodrush and seems remarkably unbothered for someone who's been presumably been shatter-starred. riz, in contrast, has a lot of emotions/anxieties but channels them into mystery solving and other activities, an approach encapsulated by the baron quote from fhsy: "You love the truth. You seek it so much that you cut your hands upon the inside of crystals. But, you use deception to protect yourself from something you fear." riz also isn't very forthcoming with his emotional state, evading questions from his mom and Jawbone, as well as his friends. His initial drive to solve mysteries stemmed from the emotion from his father's death, but iirc he didn't even tell the bad kids about how pok died until sophomore. And now, he's grinding in school/extracurriculars for scholarships to avoid considering the possibility of the bad kids splitting up

Buddy Dawn/Adaine Abernant: catty and blonde. (jk) both of them feel anger prominently and express it in their spellcasting (versus a more martial class), but in very different ways. adaine's whole arc throughout freshman and sophomore year has been about accepting that she has the right to be angry about the way that her parents abused her, and that her anger can be a source of power in her spellcasting; contrast the way she brained doreen with the ladle in the first battle with the corn cutie bc she didn't know what to do versus later battles in sophomore and junior year when she's learned adaine's furious fist. on the other hand, buddy uses his cleric spellcasting as a healer in order to sublimate discomforting feelings and avoid dealing with the idea of agency and consequences of emotions like anger. his whole conversation with kristen is basically him going "i don't feel anger because i repress it so deeply and i don't engage in violence, just help other people kill because that is helio's will. my hands are clean tho :)" (he is so funny) additionally, adaine has found a support system in her adventuring party, as well as jawbone and ayda, while buddy is the odd one out in the ratgrinders as lucy's replacement, isolated from preexisting support systems as he has just moved from highcourt and subsequently becoming so very vulnerable to getting shatterstarred

Oisin Hakinvar/Kristen Applebees: idk these are the only guys i have left. ok my original idea was they both have plot-relevance related to adaine's summons, with oisin hijacking adaine's dust mephits to tamper with the cloud rider engine and whatever the fuck is gonna go on with K2 in the next episodes. also have a narrative presence defined in part by the women they're crushing on, with kristen dealing with her attraction to tracker/gertie/women in general throughout all the campaigns and oisin being introduced as seemingly flustered by adaine's attention. but honestly i think the strongest parallel is that they're both haters (kristen calling klck "4dogs" and oisin calling buddy dawn "hayseed", fight!)

and of course, how could I forget...

Lucy Frostblade/Gilear Faeth: the Chosen Ones. both have plot relevance and relation to Ankarna through their ancestry. both just have a melancholy vibe. ppl from mountainous cultures often live off dairy products... i'm gonna extrapolate and assume that lucy loved blueberry yogurt

[average-hyperfixator]

Ted rant bc I haven't done one in a moment and I have to uphold my status as #1 Ted enjoyer and enthusiast

I still claw at the walls and floor every time I see Ted's character dumbed down or simplified (IT'S FINE IF IT'S FOR JOKES BUT LIKE... I'm worried some of you are serious when you start saying all he did was use women..... did we read the same backstory.........)

I feel like a lot of his backstory and how he GOT to the point of essentially being a full-time playboy just gets. overlooked. Like he didn't just wake up one day and decide to scam women NO!! It was a "choice" made after an awful childhood!!! And after pretty much getting groomed!!! I put choice in quotation marks because he literally didn't have even a high school education so he could either slave away on his family farm until he died (he already spent his ENTIRE childhood working for his family!!) OR he could use the skills he was taught over the 5 years he spent with that now dead rich woman!!! Like what would you choose if we're being honest???

To be clear, it doesn't excuse or defend his actions but like I am BEGGING for ya'll to just. at least make an effort to put yourself in his shoes. yeah idk maybe the guy who's been using his body as a sex object for rich older women since he was 19 might have a warped view on sex!!!! Maybe that explains why he's confused and upset when he doesn't get any "return" because it's always been transactional for him!!!! Crazy thought ik!!!!

again it does not excuse or defend anything but looking into his backstory can at least help you understand what his likely mental reasoning for everything is rather than just dumbing him down to a misogynistic asshole. Ted has LAYERS and you WILL look at them! GRR!!! Ted doodles to accompany this (my mildly altered design for him)

I haven't drawn him and Aubrey together in a hot second so have them actually liking each other hehe I love Ted you guys don't get it YOU DON'T GET HIM LIKE I DO!! RARGH!!

anyway it's 11:25 PM uhhhh hit post

[drekr]

ashur would marry for love, not status, nor money or power, and this fact would literally kill his father. but the thing that i like most about this is that ashur wouldn't do it in spite of his father; he wouldn't want there to be ill feelings associated with the person that he loves. he's just not a spiteful person, even though he has every reason to be spiteful.

honestly i know ashur would prefer his dad to like who he's with. but he wont ? compromise ???? his relationship to make his dad happy but none of it is ever done spitefully. idk if i'm making sense i hope i am omg alksdja in a perfect world ashur and his dad would get along and have similar views (or at least respect each others opinions. his dad does not. )

its so interesting to think about how different ashur and his siblings are in terms of rs with their dad. some of them suck up to him in hopes of being noticed. others ignore him entirely. ashur is his pride and joy but they cant even be in the same room together for longer than an hour. :')

also i dont think this will ever change bc ashur will not change his viewpoint. ever. he'll never be traditional. not in the ways that his father wishes. parents are supposed to love and protect their children but also allow them to grow into their own person. they should respect them. but his dad :) is still trying to put him in a box. and at 31 yrs old ashur is tired.

ugh i know that if ashur has a nonbinary partner ( or a partner that doesnt fall under the traditional umbrella ) his dad would be vile (behind their backs) and ashur would literally. cut off all contact. one hundred percent. disrespect his partner in any way and hes OUT.

but disrespect ashur himself?? he's staring from across the room. putting up with it bc he feels like he has to. like that's his dad, his family. he doesn't want to disappoint him (even though honestly i wish he would not care about how his father feels lol.)

why doesn't ashur hold the same respect for himself as he does for his partner ? i think it's because of how he was raised. he was literally groomed to be who he is today. i think this also sparks a lot of self doubt and identity crisis.

it's interesting. as the viper he's free ?????? to be whoever. whatever. but he still holds back as the divine. mmm i really wanna explore his other side more too. people would be shocked to see ashur as the divine. he is not the same person. his personality is a lot more toned down even when he stands up for what he believes in.

i feel like he has to be calculated with how he approaches things. i think divine ashur is always thinking. he's three steps ahead of everyone else because he has to be. he is, after all, undercover and essentially a spy. plus i like the whole two differing sides of the same person. its two different worlds and whilst he is trying to bridge the gap and make them one world. he's only a singular person.

basically this post can be summed up with ashur's dad is stinky, ashur has low self ... preservation ??? low self care ??? but will do anything for the person that he falls for. and i think ashur has a lot of pressure on his shoulders. a lot comes from his dad. but a lot also comes from himself. bc he wants to use his position to do good but he has to be careful in How he does good, if that makes sense.

[kel-lance]

Eyeless Gojo AU Part 1:

Prequel: (read here)

———Warnings: mention of death, blood, killing, morally grey, slight mind control, Gojo just reacting to his cptsd in this universe, slight grooming (adults ideals on Gojo and their children), mindbreak, yandere(?)———————-

((Ending of year 3: (the woman Geto brought in was mamagumi. Toji was a secret weapon to the Zenin clan and was highly respected. The kids are being raised together. Maki and Mai are taught new techniques while sparring against Megumi (they all have their same techniques) so they were actually going to become to super strongest of the clan. Basically Megumi will be next in line of the clan and maki and Mai will be trained as his protectors.

The three of them are 5-6 years old at the time. Megumi who was recently orphaned and had a “cousin” named tsumiki who would look after him and not treat him like a prince. (She would scold him and treat him like a person and he grew to greatly respect her.

He learned to be humble by her, maki and Mai’s, and their friends. Megumi had a lot of friends growing up, Panda, Toge, Kamo, Todo, Momo, Miwa, Muta, all them knew him from his status. More so the head of clans were to meet and the others came by around middle school bc they’d have meetings with each other to have them all meet before they started in JJH.)

————————————-

Geto goes to see gojo at his place, you know, the 1000+acre plot of land that was supposed to suffice as Gojo’s own personal quarters. The same one where everyone and their mothers turned him away until they hear he’s Geto Suguru, to where they basically pull him in to ask him to get Gojo out of his room.

Geto is walked in, no knock or introduction. Gojos room, it was thick. The air was strong, you could feel it walking in. Geto goes to open the windows while keeping his demeanor. ”I’ve been picking up your slack everyday Gojo.“ Geto paused to let his friend talk over him, but that didn’t come. He looks back at Gojo in his bed, “C’mon seriously you out of all of us, you can’t be acting like this.”

“I thought you understood that I’m not like other people.”

“Well, before I said you’re not that special to be exempted out of stuff. We’re risking our lives as normal people while you can do months worth of our missions in a week, if you wanted.” Geto sighed, leaning on the wall next to the open vent.

Gojo’s aura, he could barely feel like it in the room, it wasn’t what was taking up the space before anyway. His voice was hard to even find. “….. What makes me so special then?”

Geto didn’t know what to say. This was real one of his worst bits. “You’re special because you’re Gojo Satoru. You are literally the strongest-”

“WHAT IS IT ALL FOR!?” Gojo snaps.

Oof, his jab of Gojo alone being the strongest always annoyed him. Gojo would say that they were the strongest, but Geto kept refusing. Gojo wouldn’t stop until they were equal, til they could bring him down to Geto, or what Geto hated was that they put him as far up as Gojo. It just kept showing him how different they were treated, but in this moment he shouldn’t have said it. “Hey, I’m sorry, I didn’t-“

“I know.” Voice breaking, Gojo continued. “I already knew that you would do this, but somehow it still hurts more than the anticipation. I,” He sighed, using it to catch his breath, “I really wanted you to know me.”

Geto was speechless. His best friend, the one person who Gojo was so intrigued by, he trusted Geto enough to let him know what kind of life he lived. How do his words still go unnoticed? He’s still unheard, seen as a brat for being tended to. How could he live as an adult? That’s right, they’re rendering Gojo powerless still. Even while he’s an adult now.

“I’m sorry. We can go get ice cream-“

“Get out.” Suguru could only blink. He didn’t hear that right-

“GET OUT!”

Gojo had never raised his voice like this before. His tone was so stern Geto thought someone else may have been in the room with him. Speechless, he just turned and left.

———————————————-

“You seriously didn’t say anything?” Nanami wasn’t recovering well from Haibaras death. That was just insane, how time moves so much faster when your brain is panicking. Maybe if nanami could’ve moved his legs a bit faster maybe haibara could’ve just lost up to his knees, but no, his organs ended up missing too. There was no way anyone could help them.

The blond was grouchier than ever. He was angry. There wasn’t a curse in the world that could escape his wrath. He supposed he could sulk and stay upset, risking his life even more as it’d unbalance his fighting style. He had to stay focused but couldn’t do that without motivation.

————-

Haibara was the only person really getting him to help others. Of course he wanted to help people, it wasn’t right that most of the population are victims to themselves, and they don’t even know it. They can’t help it, someone once said to him, and it stuck with him since.

“Why is it our job to help them if they don’t even know the danger they’re in?” Nanami said aloud.

“What a stupid thing to say.” Haibara comes around, folding up his magazine and smacking nanami on the head. “You should help others because you want to, there shouldn’t be any other reason for it. You’d be bargaining forever at that point.”

“Yeah sure, I get that it’d be more mental gymnastics around it all, but seriously what’s the real reason?”

“If you keep asking yourself questions, that time could’ve been used to save another life. Don’t you feel better after knowing they’re safe? That you did something for other people like us?”

“They’re not like us.” Nanami grumbled. His 16 year old mind just didn’t get why it was up to him to save most of the population, it was a lot of responsibility, let alone how Gojo was born into it. That’s how Nanami keeps himself away from Satoru, and Suguru by association, but Haibara makes it apparent to always greet them.

He kept breaking through Nanami’s boundaries and showed him that it’s easier to do if he wants to do it. And he’s been on that ever since, trying to get his friend to think differently to better himself.

——————

Nanami heard about what happened to the two, and reached out to Utahime for Suguru’s number, which she also got from Shoko. Telling his upperclassman what happened to their mutual friend, it was a big step for him to open up. They sat side by side, nanami leaning all the way back, as much as gravity would allow, listening.

“He yelled at me.” Geto said.

“That’s not like him at all, he’d never do that. Did you really recover fully? Maybe we’re all going crazy.”

“No,” Geto stopped him. “He actually yelled at me. Like I felt like a little kid and he was the upset father for once.” Nanami could tell that upset him, it wasn’t about power and control but that was never their dynamic. Gojo was always the kid, he was always the one with energy and not a care in the world, because he was a brat, but also so elevated that he was neglected of course he was going to be ignorant to things, much less latching onto the first person that treated him with actual sincerity and decency.

“I wonder what he’s seeing right now. If he knows how much he hurt me because he just sees everything. I bet he saw this conversation when he woke up again.”

“Do you think he might’ve saw something while they were putting his head back on?” Fixing his glasses, nanami could remember the details when yaga, Suguru, and Shoko came back holding parts of the two

Maybe. But his vision keeps getting in the way of his life. He knows that, we all know it, but what can we do about it? He’s the strongest. After all the training they’ve done together, Gojo having deja vu and being able to be familiar with Geto’s moves really always pissed him off.

Gojo tried closing his eyes but it seemed better for him, the light was less intense and he just had to trust his senses. Gojo was told so many times, taunted by Geto, always saying that was why Gojo could never deliver him a fair fight.

Bzzzbzbbzz. Looking down on his phone, Geto was surprised to see Shoko’s contact with an image attached, showing Gojo resting in a bed. “Come over.”

“Nanami, I gotta go.” With no time to explain, Geto’s out the door. Nanami sighs and decides to buy some flowers.

—————————

Gojo wakes up to Geto coming over to the infirmary. His head is bandaged heavily and Geto wasn’t told why or what happened, he just thinks that it was a mission that he failed bc of how bad his headspace was.

Gojo is honestly quiet. He listens to Geto tell him how he can just go out and do anything with his head like that, making it vague. Gojo thinks that even after doing what he did, that Geto and everyone would still not feel anything for him, he needed pity. He needed shame to feel human. He needed to feel something.

Gojo just sits and listens to Geto. He missed his friend so much. He sits in his bed, looking out the window at the world outside.

Geto is running his mouth, saying things in a tone that only his best friend would understand, trying to say in the best way possible how he cares. He’s just so worried how Gojo could be so stupid without him. Not even a laugh. He was boiling water for some tea, just preparing whatever he found around the infirmary to make it less tense.

When Geto brings gojo his tea, gojos already asleep. He sets the cups on the nightstand, he sits and looks over at his friend, thinking that it suited him. Being quiet like this was something he could only wish upon to happen, but it was killing them both.

Geto realizes that Gojo was calling for him to come so he could sleep. He looked over his body and his fingers had skin picked off, his body looked like he lost some weight, and the bandages covering his head and face was bothering him. He wanted to see that his friend was really there, that he was okay.

Geto got up to go to the bathroom and when he came back, he found Gojo back up, drinking his cold tea in the dark.

[megabuild]

always sucks when you ask ppl to send in ask about aoyuer and I sit there staring bc im aoyuer’s proud #2 fan and yet I cant come up with anything because all I do is think about cscott its embarassing. what does he even do in aoyuer be a sad bug? oh no the prophecy? pix is literally dying in the desert

HELP its ok. frankly im always like wah i wish i could talk about aoyuer but then its like. people dont send me questions BECAUSE im not talking about aoyuer so they dont have any info to go off. vicious cycle. Anyway here's your Scott ramble

Much of Scott’s character right now comes from his home and the worldbuilding around it. Rìbhinne Deil is effectively a closed settlement theocracy, with Fèidhism (corruption of “god deer”, worship of the Twin Stags) being the religion almost all its citizens follow. I wouldn't call them a cult because that's a heavy word with a lot of contrasting definitions, and while certain practices they undertake would be considered bad by modern standards both IRL and in canon, Arc 1 is set in the equivalent of the 1400s and most characters view the area as “a bit creepy and weird but not really our business”. Having said that, their worship of Aeor is certainly Not very healthy. 

As a theocracy it's largely controlled by a council of priests who aren't all that relevant, but also on occasion the fèidh fuil (corruption of “blood of the deer”), a ‘chosen’ one who is believed to be a reincarnation of Alinar. (Functions about the same to the canon “champions”.) The fèidh fuil is a difficult role- outwardly, they are the unquestioned leader of Rìbhinne Deil, but often they are groomed for the position from a young age and serve more as a puppet that allows the council to remain in control. The fèidh fuil’s word, however, is still final.

Scott (birth name Sgàid, which he still uses within RD) is about eight when he is chosen as fèidh fuil, a result of a tragic event where his parents and twin brother Seornaidh are killed in an avalanche. His body is the only one recovered from the snow and he almost dies to frostbite but makes a miraculous recovery, something the priests seize as proof of his chosen status. In canon Scott’s relationship with Xornoth is very glossed over and we never really get any hints he even had a brother until it’s randomly dropped in that oh yeah, that guy's my twin… so here it’s more a parallel of the original Twin Stags myth, where Alinar was so heartbroken over Cohnal that Aeor removed his memories to make him a “perfect soldier”. Scott’s memories aren't literally removed, but he is encouraged to repress his grief and focus more on his duties, with his family barely being mentioned and the avalanche being turned into something beautiful that “awoke” his godlike status instead of a tragedy. 

He becomes a controversial fèidh fuil. As I said above RD is a very closed off settlement- prior to the Empires Project it is one of the only major settlements in the area and they have little to no contact with the others. By the time Scott was about eighteen he wanted to change that- hence the change of his name to a more anglicised one, which he used when communicating with others. It's about this time he gets in contact with fWhip, who has just left military service and been appointed Royal Alchemist. While the Empires Project is fWhip’s baby, Scott certainly plays a part in helping it come to fruition. By the time the main story begins, he's just turned 21, making him the second youngest ruler above Jimmy (20, with some leeway since aging as a fish hybrid works differently).

In terms of his relationship with Pix, it’s a difficult one- in canon they only interact once and very briefly. In AOYUER Scott is definitely not a huge focus- my original intent was for his story to play out in the background, functionally very similar to canon, as a sort of reminder that Pix is the main character of this story but not the overall story. However I just.. really love worldbuilding and RD in particular has been so fun that he’s probably ended up having a bigger part than I intended LOL. In a lot of ways I would consider him a sort of “broken mirror” to Pix- he’s everything Pix should be as a leader to his people but Pix is also deeply aware of how Scott's situation is equally, if not moreso stifling than his own. Their interactions are pretty brief- they have an argument about religion at one point, and I’d like for them to have a more candid discussion towards the end. But outside of that, unfortunately he doesn't show up that much. (Or he isn't planned to, anyway. Knowing him he’ll sneak his way in to being a major character somehow.)

[iphido]

no i will never be over how making jasico canon wouldve made both of their character arcs so much more satisfying .

jason was obvs intended to be percy's foil (and apparently the main protag of hoo?). whether or not rick pulled it off is subjective but NARRATIVELY i think jason is a much better foil to nico bc percy is on another level lbr. jason isn't a good foil for percy because jason doesnt have anything percy WANTS. percy has everything he could possibly want. he has annabeth and his mom and their growing family. the only thing percy wants at this point — what he’s always wanted —is to be a normal teenager, free from the gods and their schemes. percy only does what he does in HOO because hera put him there. hes there bc he HAS to be. jason on the other hand would probably do everything even without hera's brainwashing bc he's chained by his sense of duty and justice. as a soldier, as a roman, as the son of Jupiter. percy comes off as static in HOO because he doesnt have a real purpose there ? neither does annabeth imo. they dont have real arcs.

nico and jason on the other hand... THEIR ARCS ARE PERFECT PARALLELS OF EACH OTHER. ‘Nico had talked about not belonging anywhere. At least Nico was free of attachments. He could go wherever he chose.’, putting my entire fist in my mouth rn cuz this is a canon quote (hoh, jason LVIII). the epitome of roman masculinity, the Golden Boy, vs the outcast that is literally cloaked in darkness. the top of the demigod ladder vs the bottom. jason was groomed to be this perfect model leader but throughout heroes of olympus he's incapacitated and knocked out and rendered useless, numerous times. meanwhile nico is underestimated and scorned yet he's vital to not one but TWO wars, and he's also capable as hell. like he survives TARTARUS on his own. he survives captivity. he's outed by a love god to someone he barely considers an acquaintance. he leads a group of STRANGERS to the house of hades. he brings a huge fucking statue across the globe and earns the respect of a roman praetor.

ITS JUST SO INTERESTING HOW EACH OF THEM HAS WHAT THE OTHER COVETS SO DESPERATELY. jason has physical perfection and acceptance by his peers, but he lacks direction and purpose. nico lacks the former, but he knows who he is, though he dislikes—even reviles—who that person is. nico knows his place and when/where he’s needed. nico has a family but jason doesnt. nico has hades’ love and, for a time, the love of his mother. jason has neither. zeus never gave two shits about jason. he pledged jason to hera before he was even born to placate her. the only 'mothers' jason had were an alcoholic starlet fallen from grace, a harsh wolf goddess who trained him to be a child soldier before he could even read, and his patron goddess who manipulates him to her own end. both of their older sisters joined the hunters — and while bianca did it to be rid of nico, i bet a million dollars that if thalia knew jason was alive during TTC, she wouldve become the prophecy kid if it meant she could be with him. nico  has hazel who cares for and defends him. he can see her whenever he wants. jason sees thalia like once a year. nico has the strength to scorn those who scorn him right back, but jason bears the weight of everyone’s expectations like atlas, and he just cant let go.

nico and jason complete each other. they just do. two boys who are on opposite extremes of the demigod world, looking to each other for answers. for love and acceptance. they see the worst and the best in each other. it’s about someone shattering your expectations and revealing something even more precious inside. IT’S ABOUT THE VAST, PROFOUND EMPTINESS INSIDE YOU. A DEEP SENSE OF LACKING THAT’S BECOME JUST A PART OF YOUR STATE OF BEING AT THIS POINT. AND SOMEONE COMES ALONG — NOT WITH THE INTENTION TO MEND OR FILL THAT HOLE — BUT TO STARE RIGHT INTO THAT CHASM AND NOT CARE. TO TELL YOU THAT THE HOLE DOESN’T MATTER. THE HOLE MEANS NOTHING, BECAUSE I LOVE YOU.

[merrysithmas]

Anakin as the primary ego trapped in Vader

sue me, but: genuinely believe anakin is trapped inside vader. he is lost in such abominable blackness he literally cannot escape, he's not choosing it anymore, not fully, he is trapped, enslaved.

the dark side blackness feeds off more blackness to numb it of its own horror, and so on and so forth. an endless cycle of isolation and powerlessness that chokes out from the purported scions of passion, the Sith. but it is only emptiness that feeds more emptiness.

yes, undeniably, when he had a moment of free will (which was not often, being a servant of the Force/Fate, a child slave, a padawan, and Sidious' leashed dog) at one of those infrequent points, he himself most definitely chose the wrong path. and that one mistake led to a lifetime of agony, pain, purgatory, and servitude from which he was never freed.

but no, solidly do not believe he "chooses" to be evil Vader everyday. same as an addict does not choose to be addicted to a substance. the dark side warps him, takes on its own personality. and secondly, Anakin is not entirely in control, part of the Force's will.

Vader/Anakin is constantlly in conflict! that is the whole point of his character, how he acts as a metaphor for people/the force/the galaxy at large. Anakin is not choosing evil everyday so much as the Dark Side is winning, and he is simply not strong enough. beaten down. rightfully guilty. and as always, a demi-god, unstable, lost, until his prophecy is fulfilled. until death releases him.

he is clearly a victim as well as a villain. a demi-god tasked with fulfilling a horrendous prophecy, thus not entirely bound by human morality. a child groomed and manipulated and unprotected. a young man desperately alone. a destroyed soul used as an attack dog by the Sith, and agent of fate by the Force.

and as Luke saw, he is worthy of mercy. at the very least he is worthy of freedom. he is such a tragic character. and no one deserves slavery. not even a man who became a monster by choices both his and not his own.

As a Judas-figure, Vader in Luke's eyes reminds me of that Mark Twain quote, "But who prays for Satan? Who, in eighteen centuries, has had the common humanity to pray for the one sinner that needed it most?" Luke did.

anakin isn't out there "choosing to be evil every day." that perspective just... seems to be lacking the nuance of the series. Anakin is aware of his mistakes "I am not your failure, Obi-wan," Anakin says. He inhales as Vader, the prime ego subjugated, "I killed Anakin Skywalker."

Anakin feels this is true. He chose Vader, and Vader killed him. And now he is trapped. Eternally. Obi-wan can't save him, and he can't save himself. Vader, the Dark Side, Fate, his own mistakes are in control. And he must own it, the prime ego buries itself and is simultaneously buried by the alter ego. The two are not exactly one in the same, as per the Force's control of him. They certainly need to be reconciled, but so does the galaxy.

Anakin does admit he was wrong, that his fork-in-the-road mistake was evil, he definitely sees himself as irredeemable. Despite all that influenced him (Palpatine's grooming, his demi-god status, the abandonment of his mother, not meshing with the Jedi bc of his childhood slavery) he sees himself as irredeemable. He sees his choice as evil that led to evil in control. The primary ego recedes.

He sees Order 66 as evil as evidenced by letting Reva live in episode 5. As evidenced by mourning Padme, even as Vader. By all his instances of momentary flickering humanity in the comics. Of hearing Ahsoka in Rebels. Of never, ever being able to let go of his partner Obi-wan. Of breaking free for Luke.

Vader is a villain, but it is a Tragedy, and a modern classical myth, because Anakin, the Prime Ego, is certainly trapped inside of him, enslaved by so many entities, including his own mistakes that he can't bear to carry.

but not only those.

[rosepetalsthings]

(if this doesnt send as anon pls dont post it, im always paranoid abt that happening)

one thing im seeing is ppl calling his response "emotional" or "immature" ? like yeah, he's being accused of smth pretty fuckin big, i'd have an emotional response to that too. not defending him against any allegations to be clear, but i would like to know why ppl think someone shouldnt have emotions anymore once they hit some level of celebrity status. beyond that, i don't wanna discredit the accuser just bc i like the guy, but i also don't wanna do anything w.o knowing more. there's more nuance to the world than twitter tends to think, and ik therell be things we don't currently know

Oh yeah, it's very annoying to see, especially when it really wasn't that bad of a response? Like he said he didn't groom anyone. That was literally all he said when you take it down to basics. But I could also be pretty god damn furious too.

It does feel weird calling her an accuser cause I'm still not sure what she herself was accusing him of. Like everyone else came in and started calling it grooming. She kinda just said "this is my experience" and dipped, leaving it for everyone else to decide

[jennifersminds]

you should talk about everything damon did while katherine was in elena’s body.

oof i would fucking love too.

Because like, this happens in season 5- so tvd had already done enough to obliterate elena’s character for the sake of Damon’s redemption. She’s forgiven a lot but i genuinely think those few episodes were damon at his absolute worst morality wise.

this is happen at the point of the show where damon had been established, maybe not as a hero, but as a less evil guy than before and overall a likeable character (not to me but ya’know). He has Elena and she trusts him and loves him and she’s forgiven him for everything he’d done to her and others in the past. The show seems pretty determined to get the audience to completely let go of the idea of stelena or a single elena and understand that damon can be good for her,

- then this shit happens

So Katherine possesses Elena to avoid dyeing (i have MANY thoughts on that storyline too bc it’s actually the primary reason i struggle to respect Katherine as a character but that’s for another day) and she breaks up with Damon while possessing her. I’d also like to mention that she doesn’t even go about it that brutally, like it’s not nice but she literally just tells him all the true stuff ab his and elenas relationship.

Damon then reacts by

- killing Elenas recently reunited childhood best friend aaron

- trying to kill her brother, who previous death literally destroyed elena

- and just being an all around abusive dick

Now what really gets to me about this storyline, other than how fucking horrifying it is, is what it says about how Damon views Elena and the reality of what her situation with not only Damon but the salvatore brothers is and always has been. because a lot of ppl refuse to see Elena as a victim when it comes to her relationship with them but like- THIS FUCKING STORYLINE SAYS EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW.

Elena can’t leave Damon. She never could. This storyline literally confirms- Damon will destroy her if she leaves and the show DOES ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WITH IT.

Now we can argue that when returned to her body, Elena has little reaction bc she’s hearing it all second hand and to memory it is pretty sugar coated, but it’s difficult not to think that she saw this situation as a confirmation of her trapped status. Do i think that was the writer’s intention? no fucking idea. literally i have no idea what the tvd writers were going for in the later seasons.

but one of the reasons i defend the person Elena ends up as in the later seasons is bc she really couldn’t have become anything else, this dependent women who can’t live without damon was forged in these storyline’s and it’s so fucking depressing. She was groomed and abused to hell and back by both stefan and damon and she really never stood a chance.

anyway holy fuck this got long and probably wasn’t what you need from the ask but thank you for sending it lmao

[clown-cult]

Your last ask kind of bothers me, because the whole premise of the Shiina manga is that two of the protags were created through child grooming. It doesn't matter if you pirate it or not, you're just prioritizing the "official" content even though it's presented right alongside the OOC gross SR stuff. I get loving InuKag, but what's the difference between something official and a doujinshi anyway? Just the creators getting to make money off the brand. If Shiina wasn't doing the manga in partnership with the owners of the Inuyasha brand, you wouldn't take a second look at it because it's no better than the middling fanfiction written on AO3. But because it's "official" you're drooling all over it and willing to ignore all the context surrounding it?

Why don't you just go and find a good InuKag fan artist that doesn't support SR and support them instead?

This is going to be a very long and rambling post as I try to make my thoughts clear. on both this ask and the ask I got previously.

First of all, I myself don’t ship InuKag. I know, that’s basically blasphemy in this fandom, but I don’t. So if you’re trying to come for me personally anon, don’t bother.

With that out of the way, I was trying to offer an alternative to that particular anon. Some people can enjoy fan content but still prioritise canon content of their ships (even when it comes to something non-canon like Yashahime and even less canon still when it comes to the manga) just out of a desire to want to know what happens next. I don’t see quite as much with western media but there’s something about the culture of the anime and manga industry and how there’s almost always new merch being released of some sort that basically primes the consumer to want more, even when a series is long finished.

Then again, some people are just fandom purists and feel safer with content that has some semblance of official status. Remember that the iceberg that is Yashahime only hit the Inuyasha fandom relatively recently and a lot of people are still hurt, confused and trying to seperate being able to enjoy the original work without having to also support the sequel and, more importantly, creators who allowed this to happen even if it isn’t canon. The Harry Potter fandom is proof that you can completely separate the work from the author and their problematic decisions and still enjoy the work itself, but as I said, the Inuyasha fandom is still collecting itself from the fallout.

As for me, I like InuKik and SessKik and I will always heavily support queer ships over straight ones. I’m in no way dismissing your point of supporting fan content and fan creators bc there’s literally no chance I’m going to get any content at all if it’s not fanmade, and I create fan content myself to continue that goal onwards. Many of us are already going the route that Harry Potter took and are contributing more of our own content that completely separates off the distressing elements introduced to the fandom. I’m pretty sure people will come around as it’s already happening, but in the meantime I’m trying to be understanding of how upset communities like InuKag and MirSan will still be.

In the meantime, in regards to said spinoff that’s being made about the newlywed couples, while I’ve recommended pirating as the best way to enjoy it without financially supporting it, I do want to warn people at the same time. Remember this is still a Yashahime-centric project. I understand that previous anon loves InuKag and wants more of them, but look at his InuKag has been treated by Yashahime so far. Not only are they no longer the heart of the narrative, they’re reduced to a bastardised version of the original that allows and fawns over Sesshomaru’s violation of Rin, and then said bastardised version we’re left with is all but absent from the story.

To previous anon, I understand being comfortable with more ‘official’-ish content and as I said, if you must look at it then don’t financially contribute to it, but remember that this is not a series that has been kind to, understood or valued InuKag. The only reason this series is being made, I said some time ago, is because it’s attempting to use InuKag as a cover to try and push the SessRin narrative more. As current anon is pointing out, any new content with InuKag is going to be stained by SR and the context around the sequel.

There’s no shortage of InuKag events that have happened this year and plenty of master posts of good content. I think I saw somewhere that’s there’s a zine in the works. I can’t tell you how to spend your time or money on the internet, but if it was me, I’d be supporting fan comics and doujinshis, instead of official-but-not content that doesn’t treat my OTP fairly. Just something to think about.

[noona96n]

the deal w/ Shu Yi’s dad

i will start w/ Shu Yi & his ‘non-existent’ reaction to the revelation bcs ive been in a similar position

a bit of bg info about me… im born & raised in a very traditional environment in SEA  in which filial piety is prized above all else from a child. i won’t generalize by saying that all asians grew up like that or that all asian have that sort of mindset but we do respect our elders a great deal. many still believe that the elders can do no wrong. and some elders genuinely believe that they know best and that whatever they do is right and their children will understand why they did what they did in the future when they’re successful. it’s stupid but it’s a thing.

ik what it's like to have to sit and listen to the people i love most tell me that the things that hurt me were done with my best interests in mind. and ik what it’s like to understand their intentions. their actions are unfair & their reasonings are illogical… it’s fckd up but they did it out of love… they did it for you and your happiness and your future. and ik what it’s like to have all of my justified anger melt away in the face of that love and still love them endlessly in return. 

Shi Yi doesn’t not react… Shu Yi understands and he just… accepts that that’s the way his dad loves him. 

it’s wrong and it’s unfair to Shu Yi but he understands and he still loves his dad. and Shu Yi dad does love him a lot, very much, it’s just very convoluted and unfair and self-serving. and, i think, Shu Yi might explode later on when he finally confronts his dad about the shit he did to keep him and Shi De apart. 

(i also know what it’s like to look my parents in the eyes and tell them ‘no, im doing things my way, im doing things i want to do because that’s what’d make me really happy’. it’s daunting but liberating at the same time, the most nerve-wracking and monumental thing i’ve ever done in life… so, i understand why Shu Yi is so unforgiving of Shi De.)

i want to give major props to Yu for how his voice cracked when Shu Yi talked back to his dad... how he looks so resigned to his fate, how he still managed to nod respectfully at his dad when reassuring him that he’s forgiven if he leaves Shu Yi alone for now. Yu has so much talent, it’s insane. 

Shu Yi’s dad’s st00pid deal & where he’s coming from

i get where the dad is coming from  (x)  (x)  (x)  (x)  but i don’t agree with him. he hurt Shu Yi unimaginably in his attempt to give his son happiness and a good future. 

i don’t think he’s 100% homophobic… he might have some aversion to it as he said that wanted to marry a girl and give him grandchildren but he accepts it because Shu Yi is his son and he loves Shu Yi. it isn’t just a matter of homophobia (i have seen many parents, my best friend’s specifically, who are homophobic, turning a new leaf because of their kids). it’s also the issue of love that parents have for their children and wanting only the best of the best for their kids.

Shu Yi is literally the heir of an enterprise, he is his dad’s little prince, his little starlight, literally the only remnant left from the woman he loves. he loves Shu Yi, there’s no questioning that, he only wants the best for Shu Yi.

meanwhile, Shi De is… normal. to him, Shi De an ‘outsider’ & ‘inferior’ to Shu Yi in terms of economic standing & social status. Shi De wasn’t groomed for greatness like Shu Yi… he wouldn’t understand or know how to operate in Shu Yi’s environment. therefore, he isn’t suited for Shu Yi in general.

Shu Yi’s dad is just thinking about Shu Yi… in a very convoluted way. 

this is also normal, this isn’t just a dramatic cliché, it didn’t happen to me (bcs my ass has always been single) but it happened to people close to me… i’ve witnessed 7yrs of romance going down the drain bcs the boy’s social standing isn’t suited for the girl. i’ve witnessed the girl being belittled by the boy’s family simply bcs she only has one parent. i’ve witnessed 2 people not being able to get married or move on to new relationships simply bcs they love each other but one of their parents don’t approve of the other party.

it’s stupid. real life is absolute shit sometimes.

(actually, before his whole speech about how Shu Yi’d have to face the shareholders/relatives, Shu Yi’s dad actually understand the magnitude of love that Shi De has for Shu Yi... rewatch the scene & pay attention to his facial expression. i think Shi De probably remind him of himself who moved from Japan to Taiwan to be with Shu Yi’s mom. he understands the love that Shi De has for his son, he just doesn’t think Shi De is suited to be with Shu Yi and support him in his life as the head of a company.)

also, the most telling thing about Shu Yi & his dad’s relationship are these 2 sentences: ‘I did it for you’ + ‘Only Shu Yi can dump you, you can’t dump him’. he loves Shu Yi, dotes on him, spoils him,and wants the best for his son but he is also strict and uncompromising with Shu Yi. (like... dad literally went ‘how fckn dare u cheat on my sweet child u heartless mtfck... he loves and dotes on Shu Yi sm it’s unreal, he’s just... convoluted with how he express  his parental love)

Shi De accepting the deal isn’t OOC

Shi De has always been the type to not share his burden. he doesn’t share what he feels or thinks openly, not even with his own mom. literally, the only times he was so open were with his mom, during dinner time in S1EP5 (even then we can see that he’s holding sth back), and with Shu Yi, in S1EP5, and he only did it to reassure Shu Yi. so yes, this is very in-character of him to just pile everything up on his shoulders and not share his burden  (x)

he also operates on the notion that he knows what’s best for Shu Yi & their relationship…. he does have this tendency (he removed himself from Shu Yi’s life as soon as Shu Yi said he didn’t want to fall in love with a guy. he took Shu Yi to the infirmary instead of letting Shu Yi go home (the stomachache, S1EP2 & S1EP3) and stopping Zheng Wen from telling Shu Yi about Bing Wei’s feeling for him. this might not seem like much but this is character building. in S2EP1 he disregards Shu Yi’s protest and made him dinner and even now, Shu Yi wants him to leave but he won’t because he’ll stay to take care of Shu Yi.)

also, idk if u’ve ever experienced it before but it’s not nice to sit in front of the person with utmost authority over the love of your life and find that they disapprove of you and your relationship with your lover. imagine the anger, the sadness, the self-hatred you must’ve felt to be told by their parents/loved ones that ur love alone will never be enough to make them happy and sated. 

i have never seen Gao Shi De so incredibly small and so extremely withdrawn before so i’d give Shi De some slack for his stupidity and desperation. 

-

this series is too raw & too real for me &, despite its flaws and all the disagreement i have with it, i love it even more than i already it

[diamondcitydarlin]

How do you picture the lokius reunion going in season 2? Do you believe in the ‘Sylvie enchanted Loki theory’?

I'm gonna be honest, any time I try to think of season 2 as it's shaping up to be right now I try to imagine the WORST things it could possibly be so maybe if my standards are like...below sea level I won't be shocked or disappointed. But I also, as it stands, don't plan to watch season 2 unless I see something that absolutely compels me to because I don't think the team that exists is interested in writing a show I would like.

So, here are some worst case scenario possibilities I've thought up, really tried to anticipate W*ldron's mediocrity here: 1) Season 2 opens with, inexplicably, Loki deciding he needs to "go find Sylvie" (because according to Tom and the others this -is- the plan) for reasons that really only seem like more of Loki's "she needs me" assertion which is rooted in...nothing. New Mobius helps him do that or something and then disappears from the narrative entirely and no one even cares about old Mobius because this is the S*lki show now okay? 2) idk some other combo of events that ends with Mobius being sidelined/forgotten/reduced to just a few scenes on the side and further pivots Loki into a simp for his female self. My brain starts to melt when I try to anticipate what will actually happen lmao.

Of course...what I'd like to see is a totally different thing, because one can absolutely pull a better plot out of what happened (such as it was) in season one. It's not gonna happen, but it could. Like, it makes more sense to me that Loki's goal at this point would concern the multiverse itself and not necessarily a focus on finding/saving one particular person or another. Everything's been split open now and he's in another timeline entirely than where he came from, so clearly the shit has hit the fan. He may indeed just have a glorious purpose again, just not one that he avidly asked for lol. (and why on earth would he go after Sylvie specifically other than to address this issue? How does that AT ALL make sense after she has made it very clear nothing's happening here? It was a bit of a stretch that Loki would believe she 'needed him' at all, the concept of him still trying to trail after her to 'save' her or win her affections or whatever goal he's supposed to have is unsettling to me for a number of reasons)

As such, my initial Lokius reunion would be bittersweet because it'd be this alternate version of Mobius- one that does not know Loki and has not been groomed to be an expert on them, likely doesn't even know who they are. Maybe Loki goes with Mobius' initial guess that he's an Agent for awhile, but eventually I'd like to see him kinda lose it in a moment of vulnerability and admit the truth to new Mobius; "I knew you before...and you knew me, perhaps with better clarity than I've ever known myself" he admits he was a variant, etc, and when tears start to gather at the reminder that ever again finding the Mobius he knew in the brand new mess that is the open, unregulated multiverse would be like looking for a needle in a haystack, this new Mobius is there for him with just the right words he needs to hear to get back on track.

Okay but at the same time, I'd have us follow the original Mobius in his own subplot on the side. Now that Ravonna's left and Kang has been unseated, maybe his version of the TVA has really started to fall apart (literally, maybe walls are fucking falling down like how cool would the visual of the timekeeper's huge statue heads breaking off and falling several stories be). Him and B-15 realize they need to get the fuck out of there (maybe they take Casey with them bc I love him your honor) and so they do, and thus begins their side journey to the same goal Loki is trying to reach.

I...also just want visuals of OG!Mobius becoming further unwraveled as he travels- his hair could grow out, maybe B-15 helps him learn better hand-to-hand combat with the pruning sticks, he becomes a bit more rugged in that time. And who doesn't want that lol

From there, I'd have both of their plots run side by side until they intersect somewhere towards the third act of the season, ideally in the middle of a heated moment, or maybe this one idea I have of them both trying to sneak around/into some kind of fortress or lair that is of importance, trying to stay hidden from enemies, until they end up just bumping into each other lol.

And even more fun, both of them knows the multiverse is split and perhaps prior to this both of them have met multiple versions of each other, so neither of them realizes at least at first that this is -the- original thing, not aided by the fact that Mobius' hair has grown out and he's wielding pruning sticks like num-chuks lmao (thank you fan art!)

"M-Mobius...! Well...-a- Mobius anyway..." (he pulls out his dagger and holds it as Mobius throat) "So? Are you friend or foe, Mobius?"

But Mobius has the sharp end of a pruning stick against Loki's abdomen before he can do anything.

"I could ask the same of you."

(and then they spar and it's kind of sexual tension-y/almost playful like they're both enjoying it more than anything, until one or the other says something that only the OG version would know about)

As for the enchanting theory; I am not at all confident that this will manifest as a thing in canon, as it seems the writers really want to believe Loki's behavior can just be explained by 'he somehow fell in love with someone he knew for 12 hours despite having trust issues'. However, it indisputably makes sense with what's happened already and would be a very powerful way to kick-off the second season and reconcile some of the weird choices made in the first one. So yeah, I -want- to believe it. I believe a writer worth their salt would take advantage of it, but that's not anyone who works on this show so probably won't happen.

Thankfully Lokius has a huge, extremely talented fandom that have carried on their story better than Marvel could ever hope to with the millions, billions of dollars they have at their disposal. Absolutely tragic lol.

[horizon-verizon]

I think the reason Rhaenyra was fine working with Mysaria, despite her being Daemon’s mistress, is because Rhaenyra is entrenched enough in the feudal system to not see Mysaria as a threat because she’s of drastically lower status. Mysaria was lowborn, formerly enslaved, with a history of sex work and being a spymaster in the least savory part of the capital, all things that women get dehumanized for in the society that Rhaenyra was raised in. Mysaria isn’t like Rhaenyra. Rhaenyra is special, she’s Valyrian, she’s the heir to the throne, and she’s a dragonrider. None of the things that ever happened to Mysaria because of Daemon would ever happen to her. She’s different, he would never abandon her to get put on a boat somewhere while he flies off to another person because power is pointing in a different direction.

But he did do that, and that’s where Nettles comes in. Daemon groomed Rhaenyra (and arguably also Laena) as a teenager. Daemon is into very questionably young dragonriders because he’s real into Valyria. Nettles is the last one in that pattern, and Daemon running off with this girl who ISNT Valyrian and IS lowborn, gender nonconforming, and “ugly” had to have been more of a betrayal for Rhaenyra psychologically.

Rhaenyra committed to a life with Daemon, he said he was going to fight for her, and it turned into a war that killed all but one of her children (all six of whom she had before she was 30) and a rapidly decaying claim on the power she sacrificed so much for. And when bearing this inhuman tidal wave of grief got to be a little too hard for her husband to deal with, he ran off on a probable suicide mission with a plucky and naive 16 year old dragonrider and left his wife and their son out to dry. This is a world-destroying betrayal and revelation to deal with for Rhaenyra, and she cannot deal with it, so she just decides to blame Nettles and try to get her killed. She literally cannot believe that her husband would do this to her, it has to be 16 year-old Nettles’ fault, the slut, the tramp, the temptress who led her man astray.

*EDITED POST* (12/15/23)

I and others write HERE & HERE about why Nettles and Daemon never had sex and just had a paternal-mentee relationship, if not her just being his bio bastard daughter. Not enough? You may check out this "masterpost" darklina compiled.

You: "I think the reason Rhaenyra was fine working with Mysaria, despite her being Daemon’s mistress, is because Rhaenyra is entrenched enough in the feudal system to not see Mysaria as a threat because she’s of drastically lower status. Mysaria was lowborn, formerly enslaved, with a history of sex work and being a spymaster in the least savory part of the capital, all things that women get dehumanized for in the society that Rhaenyra was raised in."

Okay, (11/14/23 NOTE: I should have put this into the original doc of this post) I won't deny that Rhaenyra underestimated Mysaria from classism...but I do have questions:

Why wouldn't she be okay working with Mysaria long term or using her spy network 7 connections? Apart from being uncomfortable with the fact Mysaria was (not "is") Daemon's one-time-some-time lover? There are differences b/t worrying bc of a past relationship reigniting, not wanting your lover's baggage around, and actually worrying that the ex-lover would harm you. What reason do you expect Rhaenyra to have to suspect Mysaria of actually plotting against her when Rhaenyra did nothing to Mysaria.... absolutely nothing AND when Mysaria only stood to gain actual power & relative safety away from her former downtrodden life? In being under Rhaenyra's "employ"? Why are you making Rhaenyra out to be this super paranoid person before her actual super-paranoia kicks in?

Have you ever wondered what exactly makes Mysaria willing to try to make Rhaenyra fall after years of her willingly helping Daemon to spy and kill a literal child on this command and possibly for his & Rhaenyra's need for revenge? (This is about the rumor that she and Dameon were sleeping with each other after Rhaenyra retreated more after the taking of KL. I do not think they slept together anymore after contemplating this exact thing.) If it were true that Mysaria simply continued being Daemon's mistress...why the hell would she antagonize him or bring about his downfall if she stands to benefit from Rhaenyra & Daemon winning and making a comeback? So it has to be about something more than her supposedly wanting Daemon back/be his real mistress again and getting rejected. Otherwise, it is some cheap soap opera nonsense (which can be entertaining elsewhere but doesn't fit w/Mysaria's character nor the themes of this story--again Mysaria was willing to work for Daemon for literal years while he's been building a whole ass family). Mysaria always struck me as a pragmatist; no sex worker, past or present, expects their past customer/lover to actually "choose" them. (one theory [developed from hamliet's about Mysaria and bastard kids] is that Mysaria knows Nettles is Daemon's bio daughter or at least suspects it, feels cheated out of a happy life with her own bastard kid who would have been Daemon's first child and even received an egg, and thus targets Nettles)

Why would Rhaenyra see Mysaria as a legitimate romantic threat, when Mysaria & Daemon were physically apart for almost 20 yrs before they finally landed in KL? When Daemon never saw her again since she was exiled to Lys & suffered her miscarriage?

It seems you have an idea of Mysaria's motivation for deceiving Rhaenyra, and you seem to think that it is bc Mysaria is this hero/good actor trying to save KL, advocates for the little guy, and looks for "the realm" best interests away from Rhaenyra's tyranny. Did you know that by making Rhaenyra go after Nettles, Mysaria was also targeting Nettles?, a lowborn dark-skinned girl of 17? Even if Nettles was sleeping with Daemon, why would Mysaria phrase her sex w/Daemon with provocative language, approach Rhaenyra as if this were a troublesome topic, or even mention it at all to the one person who could/would hurt Nettles? And encourage Rhaenyra to stop/separate the two "lovers"?! IF she, Mysaria actually wanted to look out for vulnerable people or was thinking of that when she "exposed" Daemon & Nettles?!

You: "Mysaria isn’t like Rhaenyra. Rhaenyra is special, she’s Valyrian, she’s the heir to the throne, and she’s a dragonrider. None of the things that ever happened to Mysaria because of Daemon would ever happen to her. She’s different, he would never abandon her to get put on a boat somewhere while he flies off to another person because power is pointing in a different direction."

1.

Being a Valyrian dragonrider or just a Valyrian/of descent doesn't really make you special or "better" as a person. Magnetic, cooler, possibly charismatic, confident, and certainly more powerful...yeah. "Better" as in a higher value? Nah.

Maegor, Rhaena-Rider-of-Dremafyre (specifically about the suffocation of her family and lover), Aemond and Aegon II, Viserys I & II, Daemon, Alysanne, and Jaehaerys I--all these people had faults. Major & minor ones. A few were evil.

2.

I espe. do not understand what is going on here: "None of the things that ever happened to Mysaria because of Daemon would ever happen to her."

If you are saying that it's solely Daemon's fault Mysaria loses her kid or eventually gets whipped to death in the streets, not really but kinda. While theirs was a consensual relationship for what it was-- where afterward they sought each other to further use the other Mysaria wanted/sought him out and continued to be in his/Rhaenyra's employ for the power and safety that comes with the position--it's also true that Daemon complied w/Viserys' order. I will explain later in point 3 how even here it's odd considering the possible ramifications for Daemon not sending Mysaria away and a headcanon as to why he did, but I could be giving him too much grace.

It's worth considering the inherent exploitativeness of sex work within patriarchy even when a person chooses to go into sex work.

In reality, the person has very little protections against clients' violence or from rape

said violence is hard to predict to avoid yet can never be avoided

you can be trafficked into doing unpaid sex and become a sex slave

you're more exposed to sexually transmitted diseases if you do not have sustained access to the proper preventative materials and MOST sex workers globally do not

GLOBALLY you can lose your kids or not be able to grow a family if you wanted to bc many prostitutes are barely able to privde for themselves (sex work is not lucrative for most) or your pimp will kill.traffic them

it is mainly in the poorest, colonized, and/or war-genocide-torn, PoC countries where SW is literally an imprisonment and punishment for women--even if they somehow escaped their enslavers/traffickers, because of the stigma AND sex work these women & children & some men cannot find nonSW-->they fall back into SW often & it becomes their only way to sustain themselves and somethimes even this isn't enough

but in the U.S., too, SW is not protected bc it only helps undercover clients who number the politicians, etc. to keep SWers in this fraught existence -- it only benefits the powers-that-be to facilate these countries' chaos that trickles down to passport-bros traveling long distances to take advantage of economically destitue young girls and women

and in the U.S., European countries who've historically practiced/practice imperilaist measures against those countries, even some of those who volantarily go into SW are in real danger of being trafficked into sexual slavery, wehre people get them addicted to drugs to make them more docile & prevent them from being able to leave

and there's an "expiration" date for you that you-the-SWer more likely never determined...there's no government-aided "retirement" age or compensation for sex work in most countries -- some SWers are killed when they go past their percieved attractiveness or left to die...and where can they get a job or performe well enough to sustain themselves after months or years of sexual slavery?

even in voluntary SW, the person, esp doing full time SW, has lost years of experience to put on a resume bc SW isn;t somethingnyou put on a resume

And most of these things hold true for medieval SWers, who also numbered teens & children as young as 10 or so. Mysaria comes from this environment, having been a SWers, possibly a sex slave, from Lys. How well would she have avoided doing SW while a dancer, esp when we consider how the 2 activites were often interlocked in several cultures pre-modern era? As acting was in Rome? Mysaria was not toally in control of her own life, as HotD does well to tell us, even if not well to show us.

So yes, Daemon is certainly exploiting this very cancer of his society. And this means that Mysaria, as in the show, went to him to get out of its mire.

taking from the bit I said abt SWers not being able to grow a family of their own--actually systematically denied having a family or to trust in having one (Alayaya & her brothel-owning mother...what mother truly wishes to put her daughter in danger in a world that doesn't prize SW as the Summer Islands do?)

the implication of Mysaria's rage/realization of her being forced into being alone and abused, not even able to have a child to alleviate that loneliness (her being forced to go back to the place that put her into SW AND the journey killing her child) -> "Lady Misery"

remembering who hamliet explained there being a pattern between children and Mysaria HERE

I think now more than ever that Mysaria went after Nettles and more likely did at least make a remark of something like the Brothel Queens thing or was responsible for Helaena's death in telling her about Maelor's death. There was no coercion nor evidence of such happening at any time b/t her and Daemon...but she was being used and was abandoned. There is nothing to suggest that Daemon forced her to "accept" his attraction...but she looked to him for a way out and was punished for it.

Again, at the same time, Mysaria turns her pain & revenge against Rhaenyra & Daemon to targeting Nettles and enabling Blood & Cheese's murder of Jaehaerys. These were of her own volition, her choice. And Daemon WANTED that child, which came with her.

Mysaria's body is a commodity in the sex trade a patriarchy where Daemon benefits sexually & politically much more than she would have, and yes while Daemon complied with Viserys' order and can be argued to deserve his death at her hands, the main direct aggressor towards Mysaria was neither Nettles nor Daemon (again, he was willing and actively accepted Mysaria's kid and was going to take her in) much but Viserys and his need for others to see him as upholding feudal aristocratic deals/the Royce alliance.

3.

You: "She’s different, he would never abandon her to get put on a boat somewhere while he flies off to another person because power is pointing in a different direction."

INCOMING HEADCANON!!!

When Mysaria lost their child, we get this ("A Question of Succession"):

"or else be attainted as a traitor"; "obeyed, though with ill grace"; "spoke of Viserys only with disdain"; "brood day and night on the succession"

There were unfair consequences to her search for happiness with a prince while being a former sex worker and not a noble, but none of that is particularly Daemon's fault.

You imply that it is totally Daemon's fault for Mysaria being exiled to Lys when that shit is on Viserys alone, who ordered her exile. Viserys threatened Daemon with naming him an actual traitor. This could mean that it's on sight for Daemon AND his paramour AND their bastard child, or they are just more at risk because Daemon, their only chance at protection, is himself threatened with one of the highest crimes of a feudal society--treachery against the monarch. Path of least resistance.

I agree that Daemon puts her in the line of danger bc allowing someone like Mysaria to get involved with him while knowing/suspecting Viserys would not approve is much riskier for her than for him.

At the same time, if your king/president/dictator (all in all, a state leader) tells you that you must do a thing you really do not want to do or is against your strongest desires and in anger as if it was a personal affront to you, and they are ready to take more drastic measures to see it done....how likely are you, anon, NOT going to do it? Even if you were as powerful, feared, or respected as Daemon? Especially when that person/leader is your brother/relative and "head" of the society you live in? What if you thought that disobedience would put your kid and its mother more at risk?!

Viserys is king; Daemon, despite being defiant, actually still obeys his orders of exile from KL because he likely doesn't want Viserys to appear even weaker than he already thinks he does by disobeying him--bc that means less for the entire house, which is a huge concern of Daemon. Daemon's not out here looking for power for power's sake--he has done all he did for the sake of a family unit's prosperity, legacy, happiness, and supremacy, which for the Targs is very interconnected as it is for noble houses/feudal aristocratic families like the Hightowers. Otherwise, he'd just stay in KL all the times Viserys exiles him.

At the same time, he's always able & insistent on coming back.

Headcanon time & trying to get into this guy's head: Perhaps from his pattern of coming back after being exiled, he seems to know that if he gives Viserys time and little interaction, Viserys will not be that upset with him for actually coming back...partially bc he knows Viserys actually cares about him and they have mostly had each other since young. So when he gets the order to let Mysaria go, and abandon her & their coming kid, it's because Viserys is king, his brother, his companion as kids, his "charge", and his superior BUT it could also be said that Daemon expected to get Mysaria and their son to come back at a later date.

In other words, there's more to be said than Daemon leaving Mysaria because she was lower-class or a prostitute. Yes, he left her out to dry, & her not being family or a Targ made the decision a little easier as she has no noble family to at least make Viserys think twice.

Mysaria was already in a lower position and vulnerable bc she was not an aristocrat's daughter or of high enough rank, she was a sex worker, AND she was put into a worse position when Viserys wanted her gone and kings have ultimate authority. Plus, once more, what happens to Mysaria here is heartbreaking not only bc she was denied her child/safety from Viserys, but because she chose a path to happiness and security of all her own volition--she did not need to go to Daemon or have a relationship, he never coerced her--but the monarchial system was set against her.

Of course, this part could be just me overgracing Daemon, but it strikes me as odd that Daemon wants his kid with Mysaria to live--he gave her a dragon egg, for godsakes, he was hella proud & excited for this kid, his first would-be child!--that you think the fault of Mysaria's loss and his own loss is entirely on Daemon and not on the person who ordered the separation in the first place. But again, Daemon chose to get Mysaria--the more vulnerable party--involved...

You: "But he did do that, and that’s where Nettles comes in. Daemon groomed Rhaenyra (and arguably also Laena) as a teenager. Daemon is into very questionably young dragonriders because he’s real into Valyria. Nettles is the last one in that pattern, and Daemon running off with this girl who ISNT Valyrian and IS lowborn, gender nonconforming, and “ugly” had to have been more of a betrayal for Rhaenyra psychologically."

1.

No. Daemon did not groom Laena. Daemon met and married Laena shortly after she turned 22-23. She's a grown woman who doesn't have a real care in the world by the time they get together or get to actually know each other.

Grooming involves these:

physically or emotionally separate a victim from those protecting them and often seek out positions in which they have contact with minors

gaining the trust of a potential victim through gifts, attention, sharing “secrets” and other means to make them feel that they have a caring relationship and to train them to keep the relationship secret

will often start to touch a victim in ways that appear harmless, such as hugging, wrestling and tickling, and later escalate to increasingly more sexual contact, such as massages or showering together. Abusers may also show the victim pornography or discuss sexual topics with them, to introduce the idea of sexual contact

behaviors are not only used to gain a victim’s trust but often are used to create a trustworthy image and relationship with their family and community. Child and teen sexual abusers are often charming, kind, and helpful — exactly the type of behavior we value in friends and acquaintances

For him to groom Laena, he had to be at Driftmark for an extended period when she was at her most emotionally/psychologically vulnerable. Where the hell is evidence that Laena was in such a state? The girl was living with her dragon, being a dragon rider and ignoring her Braavosi betrothed--in a word, relatively happy and content.

She was just attracted to Daemon and wanted her betrothed gone, come off it. Maybe you're thinking of HotD, where Laena is younger than Rhaenyra; in F&B, it's the reverse. Blame the TV writers for this change and hypocrisy. Either way, you are denying Laena's agency and the consent given there at the same time by claiming she was groomed or that a 23-year-old is child enough to be groomed.

His and Rhaenyra's relationship is much closer to the definition of grooming by how she was way under 18 when he was giving her gifts and attention after the 111 A.C. tourney. I don't totally knock you for thinking that, he definitely performed manipulation on young Rhaenyra and used her/their bond/her admiration for him. And yes, he is attracted to people of Valyrian descent and those who are dragonriders most of all.

However, I already explained how he didn't groom or was sexually attracted to Nettles in the links all the way above and I gave the link to darklina's "masterpost". And it's not because she is dark-skinned, (to Gyldayn) possibly not "sexually pure" or "ugly" by Westeodsi standards.

Once more, why did Maester Norren say: "I saw the joy go from his eyes, and a sadness descended upon him, like a weight too heavy to be borne." And right after that, Daemon say: "A queen’s words, a whore’s work."

Combine these two things, and we see that Daemon's expressing regret for Rhaenyra's believing in false words and deception, which more than likely means his sexual relationship with Nettle is itself a complete fabrication.

2.

Just because it is Rhaenyra's fear (during a time she was at her most paranoid and afraid of losing more support, emotionally and politically), doesn't mean that it actually going on. That's a huge feature and consequence of paranoia. And suspicion or hatred. What this entire story was about the misogyny against Rhaneyra, the rumors against her sons and herself meant to harm her. What are "facts" in the hands of conspiring or fearful agents but dreams of envy?

You: "Rhaenyra committed to a life with Daemon, he said he was going to fight for her, and it turned into a war that killed all but one of her children (all six of whom she had before she was 30) and a rapidly decaying claim on the power she sacrificed so much for."

...and he did fight for her.

Instead of running off to god knows where he kills Aemond in a battle he cannot win alive AND he is the one who organized or led the murder/kidnapping of Aegon the Elder's son for Lucerys and Rhaenyra's pain. The last part was his way of advocating for her and Lucerys as well as an expression of his own pain. Was it morally wrong, yes? Was it still a reaction to Aemon's murdering Luke and the greens usurping Rhaenyra? Absolutely. Who is to blame for upending the entire kingdom for power & whose line is eradicated for it? The greens/Alicent.

He is the one who says that they shouldn't attack KL immediately in the book after Rhaenys suggests that, and he is the one to advise Rhaenyra to give Ulf/Hugh tracts of land and have them marry the Rosby and Stokeworth girls as rewards.

He's the one who captured Harrenhal for her took KL for her and made sure it was safe to land for her after he tricked Aemond and flew with Rhaenyrs to KL.

From beginning to end, he fought for Rhaenyra and NEVER tried to supersede her authority until she actually began to distrust his fidelity and devotion AND possibly try to have his bio daughter (or mentee/adopted daughter) killed., i.e. reject another of his kids after they have already cultivated a nontraditional family unit? Remember the Viserys forced him to give up his very first child-to-be...

Why are you blaming Rhaenyra's kids' deaths on Daemon of all people?! How the heck was Daemon supposed to magically prevent the greens from plotting behind closed doors or magically tape Alicent's mouth shut, trapping her in her room, etc.--bc you'd have to do that to get her away from Viserys and from influencing the entire court. Did you expect Daemon to fight all the political games for Rhaenyra? That was Rhaenyra's role and her thing for the most part, and why not?

Why would you want to take that way from her to make it "the man's" job, when it simply doesn't fit this guy. Because Daemon, as the man, is supposed to protect her from absolutely everything?! Let Rhaenyra have her agency, please, and recognize that Daemon absolutely supports her without trying to overpower her or make major decisions without her approval.

Finally, "sacrifice" entails that the person marches the victim to death knowing that they will die or be seriously harmed. Rhaenyra at no point was willing or expected to lose any of her kids or pass them in exchange for power. Time and time again, she expressly forbade them from being put in danger, esp after Luyke's unexpected death. The first time leads into what I mentioned above about Daemon saying that the black council needs to form a plan without sending dragon riders to KL to burn it down and the last was when her youngest Velaryon boy Joffrey wanted to go to the Dragonpit to save all their dragons.

No, Rhaenyra's sons were taken from her at her and the blacks' unguarded moments, circumstances where they thought they were safer (Luke was going as an envoy, should have been protected, everyone expected so; Jacaerys died trying to bring his younger brother back and so soon after he had just got the dragon seeds; Joffey sneaked out to ride Syrax not knowing he shouldn't have). Another pattern.

[EDIT (12/20/23)]: I think ] You know, I finally sensed the pattern: you hate Daemon bc you think he failed at being the ultra-protective man's man and making sure he stayed your idea of the ideal family man-warrior. Not because you think he's a predator, but because you think he does not succeed in his self-ordained "duty" and social "duty" to his family....without seeing his own vulnerabilities or disadvantages.

You: "And when bearing this inhuman tidal wave of grief got to be a little too hard for her husband to deal with, he ran off on a probable suicide mission with a plucky and naive 16 year old dragonrider and left his wife and their son out to dry. This is a world-destroying betrayal and revelation to deal with for Rhaenyra..."

1.

And Daemon should what? Travel back to KL to hold her tight & reassure her, when he's on a mission to kill Aemond and ensure Rhaenyra's win? Possibly lose the opp to kill Aemond in his departure?

Isn't that also "treasonous", to abandon your own mission? Again, he died killing the guy who presented one of the biggest obstacles to his wife. What are we saying here? Where are our prioirites or knowledge of the pressures of possible treason, a continuous motif in this story?!

2.

After listing all the problems and challenges Rhaenyra still has after taking KL--one of them being Aemond in the riverlands--this is how he gets to go out with Nettles "Rhaenyra Triumphant":

All the language directs us to see that Rhaenyra is the one to send Daemon out with Nettles to defeat Aemond. Because she was the one giving approval and permission on how to deal with Aemond, Aegon, Storm's end, and all the traitors around her. "Queen Rhaenyra was adamant". It all suggests that this talk occurred in a council meeting. Especially after this, we learn that Alicent heard of Rhaneyra's decision to execute and kill her sons and thus went directly to her to negotiate for their lives. To Rhaenyra.

You: "...and she cannot deal with it, so she just decides to blame Nettles and try to get her killed. She literally cannot believe that her husband would do this to her, it has to be 16 year-old Nettles’ fault, the slut, the tramp, the temptress who led her man astray".

...Saying that misogynoir/blood purity totally comes from grief and paranoia is ridiculous. The paranoia makes her default to this and relies on it, but it doesn't inspire its very existence.

Racism makes you hostile to vulnerable groups and individuals, blaming them for stuff not their fault whatsoever because it reaffirms a sense of privilege, power, and control when they lose things on account of another trait (gender, poverty, instead of race: white poor people are not criminalized/animalized like black "mid-class" or poor people, so poor white people have a sort of "fallback" and expectation of privilege that makes them even more susceptible to rich Republican politicians...it is still a privilege).

Why are we letting Rhaenyra off the hook for her going after Nettles even with her grief? This is where I can't say she was not accountable or that she had a justified excuse. Nettles nor what happens to her should be brushed aside for Rhaenyra's pain, bc Nettles definitely did nothing for her to almost become a victim of Mysaria or Rhaenyra's actions/envy/suspicion.

I am not saying that Rhaenyra didn't have her troubles or that she wasn't plotted against nearly from preteen-hood (I argued that her grief and paranoia are built from these very things multiple times). However, the thing about Rhaenyra's grief is that while it's understandable, we know where it comes from, and it thematically shares some elements as Othello's fears and envy, in the narrative's bones & direction there are inevitable consequences to a distrusting/trusting certain folk (Daemon and Desdemona; Mysaria and Iago) around you or at least thinking your way through solutions in the purely mechanical sense. That is what is tragic about it--the paradoxical nuanced yet simple kind.

[the first example for la-phaecienne of Tumblr] Oedipus didn't know his wife was also his mom Jocasta, but there were consequences to him marrying her & having kids anyway. Achilles didn't know Patrocles would go out in his armor and run towards Hector, but that's what happened and he lost his best friend/lover after he refused to fight for the Greeks in his own prideful, semi-understandable rage against Agamemnon. Antigone buries her relatives despite clear instructions from her superior's orders not to because she thinks it is the only moral thing to do and still loses her life (she was right, too). Compelling stories are those that present us with existential, self-conflicting stories like these where characters struggle to make decisions/advocate for themselves/a particular philosophy/ideology without having critical information, abilities, or resources--whether or not it's their fault or not or being at the right place at the necessary time. There are consequences for one's actions no matter what.

No, race doesn't exist in the exact same way in ASoIaF world as in the real modern world, but we absolutely know that Rhaenyra's publicized reasons for executing Nettles have a lot to do with using the "darker=less attractive and yet also alluring-b/c-so-"different"-so-maybe-witchcraft" ideology that moves white Europeans and white American societies towards developing the Jezebel stereotype. Which is a racial phenomenon and should be treated as such, instead of going in bad faith.

[antiloreolympus]

14 Anti LO Asks

1. To the one anon: good question - how is it that the mortals dont know who Persephone is / assume she is a minor goddess and therefore its okay to mess with her but the gods (or Olympians / underworld denizens) know exactly everything about her (despite her being there only every so often and only being 20ish) - enough to say shes "wearing her signature white color" during a murder trial.

Also the reason why Persephone is wearing white is because

A). RS wanted persephone to always be "dressed as a bride" (and have Hades dressed as a groom respectively) to show that their matching / is supposed to be a visual cue that their eventually gonna be together.

B). I believe this is RS way of saying that Persephone (despite murdering some mortals) is innocent because in purity culture White = innocence, virginity, youth etc. (Even though RS explicity ssid she wanted to go against purity culture morals shes very much leaning into them). 

2. why are Psyche’s eyes yellow even in her human form? Is she sick??

3. honestly? LO is just gossisp girl at this point, espect even GG (at least in the first season) bothered to saturze the rich and was calling out how wealth and power makes them corrupt assholes. meanwhile LO is just GG season 2 and on of being like no no, the poor people are the evil people and the rich people are the oppressed ones! all while also fawning over their  wealth and status and being way into grown men wanting to bang barely legal teens and claiming to be "feminist" somehow.

4. Tumblr is well-known for broken tag system. Check the post' tags before complaining that it's op's fault. How about you guys not tag greek mythology when posting about LO? LO is not one-shot or short fancomic. It's also definitely not considered actual greek mythology. LO is years long webcomic with huge fans. LO has its own tag. Tell your fellow fans to stop using the greek mythology tag.

5. I would argue nyx is the only woman with a unique in design in LO but thats only because she looks like a deformed chicken woman. why was my night mom disrespected this much 😭

6. So now that LO is back from break and I can finally read chapter 170 - Why oh Why do ALL the female characters Have to be defined by their male love interests??? (Or really just love interests in general).

I understand LO qualifies as the "romance" genre and there are certain stipulations or I guess themes or what have you that make it romance but for f*cks sake.

Psyche being worried about Eros loving the "fake" her I kinda get, but really? Thats your most pressing concern?? Hera is defined by her garbage marriage to Zeus - King of the gods (of which is why she is Queen of the gods). Hestia + Athena are now defined solely by their relationship to each other (not the TGOEM or their respective traits of being a goddess of the hearth + goddess of war, strategy etc etc).

Aphrodite is defined by giving Persephone "relationship" advice (e.g: telling her to curb stomp Minthe because "nymphs dont take things from gods" - doubly implying that people are things to own) And by her jealousy of Persephone in the first place because Hades made a comment about how he thought Persephone was prettier than her. And also because of her "house of debauchery" (Artemis'  words) - and relationship with Ares.

Persephone is defined both by Apollo raping her and by her fated future status as Queen of the underworld (so her relationship with Hades). Hell, even the minor characters such as nymphs are defined by this relationship status / standard. Minthe is defined by her mean spirited personality yes, but Also because of her abusive relationship with Hades prior to the introduction of Persephone. Psyche is defined by her relationship woes with Eros. Daphne is defined by her relationship with Thanatos (and because shes a flower nymph) but also mostly because she looks like Persephone.

Rhea is defined by her marriage / relationship to Kronos (lets ignore the whole "fertility goddess power" plot for a second). Even Aetna is defined by Haphestus creating her! Is there not a single character (especially female) is isnt defined by their romantic love interest???Sorry. Maybe I'm overthinking this, but thats definitely how ot comes off as of late, in regard to the latest chapters.

Okay, same anon as earlier - I take it back somewhat - we have Artemis and Hecate that are not defined by their romantic relationships - but rather their lack of one.

However the way they are shown - it still comes off as a standard - "Artemis is stingy / a stick in the mud" because shes not romantically involved and is "barbaric" (according to Hera). And Hecate is still somewhat defined by her being Hades' employee (and cheerleader for him and Persephone to be together).

So technically yes, we have at least 2 characters that are not defined by their romantic interests / relationships, but they are still held to the standard of their "un-ladylike / undesirable" because their not romantically involved.

(I guess I should count Demeter, but only because shes more defined by just being "Persephone's overbearing mom" )

7. i think whats also kinda weird about this trial is like?? persephone is obvs framed as not liking the attention (bc duh) but she didnt like the previous press either, she wanted to be private, but wouldnt being with hades force her to be in the spotlight that makes her uncomfortable? also the citizens of the underworld already dislike hades, why would they want a uncontrollable felon as their queen, even if she found innocent? idk the whole thing just makes the endgame less plausible, tbh.

8. love that rachel was able to find a random deity name to name her random nymph the greek word for "beans" meanwhile apparently cant google actual greek names for even one off characters? like andrew, ellen, george, alexis, damian, luke, phoebe, sophia, and so any other english names are also greek, but she cant even bother with that? what exactly is her "research" if she cant even bother to spend 30 seconds googling greek names? at this point LO seems determined to be as un-Greek as possible.

9. wait so everyone in LO went from having no idea who persephone was, to her only showing up on ONE magazine cover, to now being the most well known person with a signature color? all in the span of two weeks with no genuine public outings? how does that make sense? also white isnt even her signature color if 90%+ the female cast and even a lot of the men ((including ZEUS) all wear it too.

10. the fact the courthouse WASNT the areopagus, aka the place in greece where they say the first ever trial ever happened and where the court system was invented, is just another point of rachel talking out her ass about being "respectful" or "researched" on greece and their mythology. its literally one of the most famous mythology spots ever with some fantastic stories to it and she's just like "nah! boring rectangle will do!" like why even both with mythology then if its this devoid of it?

11. Anons are saying Hades in the FS chapter is leaning down and talking to Persy like a child. Say it aint true.

(I wanna see. I thought RS was finally giving Persy adult proportions). 😨

12. So wait, hold up. I kinda get where RS is coming from with the law school in the underworld (because Hades is supposed to be a kinda Judge, jury, executioner situation in the afterlife when it comes to mortals and their "punishments" and whatnot). However, is RS stating that the ONLY law school / courthouse exists in the underworld? If so, why? Why wouldn't Athena be there then. She's a goddess of strategy and justice (among other things).

Also is RS really implying that Hades owns not only the banks and underworld but the law too? She really wants Hades to be a Gary Sue along side her Mary Sue - Hades controls everything that matters and since its his realm and blah blah blah rules, Zeus, king of the gods cant do anything about it.

(Which is dumb. Because you would think that because Persephone committed the crime in the mortal realm / on, or near Olympus that therefore she would be brought back there to dole out justice under Zeus jurisdiction because she committed the crime in His Realm). 

13. FP Spoiler ahead:

Why on earth couldn't the reporters have Greek names? There is so much wrong and bad with this story, yet this irks me so much. It is Brenda all over again.

14. i dont really get the point of the trial plotline, tbh. even persephone says she should be punished and held accountable, but hades is framed in the right for trying to go against that and weasel her out of it. so?? plus zeus has legit reason to punish them? persephone is a danger to others, demeter and hermes both committed treason to cover it up, and hades was harboring a fugitive of the law and is now trying to force the system to let her go. how is zeus in the wrong for this?

[grrmartin]

Why do you think Catelyn is hotter than Lyanna considering there was a war fought for Lyanna between two very good looking men of their generation ? Cat is beautiful . Most highborn ladies in ASOIAF are beautiful but that doesn't mean everyone of them is stunning like Lyanna or Ashara or Cersei. In ASOIAF, Sansa is described to be beautiful but she doesn't move heads like Daenerys or even Arya when she grows up will be more of an ethereal beauty to her elder sister's traditional beauty.

In canon Daenerys is literally bald for most of her arc, or else has patchy hair growing in. Those who call her the most beautiful in the world are often after her dragons. Victarian and Euron call her that, adding to her mystique, but have never seen her. This is how Canon Dany looks in official illustrations in the AGOT folio edition:

Catelyn’s descriptions make her seem like the most attractive woman in Westeros. And people comment on her beauty frequently. Unlike Dany or Cersei, people do not fear or need to compliment Cat in the same way. GRRM, the author, married 2 redheads. He clearly has a type. And based on your logic on what makes somebody the most beautiful, LF started the War of the Five Kings because he loved the beautiful Catelyn Stark, even after over a decade of not seeing her.

Arya becoming an ‘ethereal beauty’ seems unlikely. Lyanna certainly never was. She was described as a wild beauty. Comes into contrast with the definition of ethereal: light, airy, or tenuous: an ethereal world created through the poetic imagination. extremely delicate or refined: ethereal beauty. heavenly or celestial: gone to his ethereal home. The idea that Arya, by the story’s end, all of age 13 will transform into a maneating beauty (you likely think she’ll become a courtesan like these people tend to think) is preposterous. A lot of ‘beauty’ in Westeros comes from living a privileged life and tending to yourself through grooming and wearing pretty things. Arya’s personality and preferences don’t allow for that. Lyanna was an alternative type of beautiful — a “wild” beauty — that Arya will likely become.

Lyanna also frankly wasn’t traditionally hot by Westerosi standards, and her beauty certainly didn’t launch a war. Robert’s Rebellion wasn’t really about her. It’s not like Westeros was a functioning system when the kidnapping/elopement happened. It wasn’t about Robert being turned down — it was about Lyanna being considered his property, what he was owed, bc he’s a misogynist. Of course, it wasn’t Lyanna being kidnapped that started the war. It was Brandon storming the gates wanting his sister back, then his father coming down to rescue him, and both of them being burned slowly alive. Proving that they lived in a state where anyone — no matter how noble or old of a family — could be killed for any sleight. That’s why the North went to war. Not Lyanna’s kidnapping. You can tell because the war started after the murders and not the kidnapping.

Rhaegar also didn’t choose Lyanna because she was the most beautiful woman... he literally wanted to make a prophecy baby. Her defending Howland and then going in the race as the knight of the laughing tree made him think she would be the perfect baby mamma for his Visenya, because he saw her as fierce as Visenya was. There was also the ice and fire bs where he thought the two of them coming together would fulfill that. Do you know why Lyanna NOT being the most beautiful is important? Because it means that she was valuable and had other appealing traits. Ultimately, beauty is not Lyanna’s defining feature. It was her willful spirit, her bucking against the system, her not subscribing to the society’s gender norms. Beauty isn’t the most important thing to look for in a fave character, so Arya doesn’t need to be MOST STRIKING BEAUTY EVER in order to be valued and important. Remember that. Internalize it. The ugly duckling fantasy is projection.

Ashara’s beauty is probably largely exaggerated because she’s been so romanticized after her death. The same has happened with Lyanna. They have become ideas of women and not actual real life women. It’s similar to how Dany and Cersei are considered so beautiful based on their status. For example:

The rest he left unsaid. Cersei was soiled goods now, her power at an end. Every baker's boy and beggar in the city had seen her in her shame and every tart and tanner from Flea Bottom to Pisswater Bend had gazed upon her nakedness, their eager eyes crawling over her breasts and belly and woman's parts. No queen could expect to rule again after that. In gold and silk and emeralds Cersei had been a queen, the next thing to a goddess; naked, she was only human, an aging woman with stretch marks on her belly and teats that had begun to sag … as the shrews in the crowds had been glad to point out to their husbands and lovers.