#villain aia

[aiamune]

Me, having an obsession with the villain versions of Aizawa ( scar ) and Mic from @moonlight-shadxw ? Yes, totally-

I even made a villain version of Aia because of this 😭

And honestly I love the design I made of it :)

Honestly on its design I made a lot of reference to Mic and Scar and it's totally done on purpose :)

(she has stuffed animals in the shape of Mic, Scar and Kurogiri hanging on her chain 🤡)

And I also did that, because I'm bored 🤡--->

[luminouslumity]

I've been wanting to do something like this for awhile now, and since it'll still be awhile before the album's fully complete, why not do it while only three are out? And what is it exactly? Essentially, comparisons. I've done quite a few similar posts with the Monkie Kid series already, in which I would talk about certain characters and the mythology behind them, with Journey to the West being my main reference point.

In this case, I'll of course be using the Iliad and the Odyssey for sources, specifically the Emily Wilson translations. I'll also be referring to other sources when necessary. They'll be pretty brief and will only cover up to where we are now, but here's your spoiler warning just in case (yes, even for a tale as ancient as this). Basically, think of this as a way to provide extra context. I intend to do this with each saga that's released.

Now, without further ado, let's begin. And as a disclaimer, I by no means claim to be an expert, I'm just someone who loves mythology and also happens to read a lot.

THE HORSE AND THE INFANT: Lots of names are being dropped here, so let's start with the main man himself, ODYSSEUS (Ὀδυσσεύς)! He is the son of LAËRTES (Λαέρτης) and ANTIKLEIA (Ἀντίκλεια), who is a granddaughter of the god HERMES (Ἑρμης), which I'm sure many would agree would probably explain a lot! In some versions, Odysseus' biological father is said to have been SISYPHOS (Σίσυφος), another mortal trickster, albeit a far more villainous one. Either way, clearly this runs in the family! He also has a sister named KTIMENE (Κτιμένη). And of course, there's his lovely wife PENELOPEIA (Πηνελόπεια), more commonly known as Penelope, and their son TELEMAKHOS (Τηλέμαχος).

Speaking of Penelope, the following story comes to us briefly from Pausanias' Description of Greece. Born in Sparta to King IKARIOS (Ικαριος) and the river nymph PERIBOEA (Περιβοια), it's said Princess Penelope was allowed to marry only after someone had beaten her father in a footrace. Of course, that someone ends up being Odysseus, but here's where the interesting part comes in: when discussing AIDOS (Αιδως), Modesty, Pausanias adds that Ikarius attempted to convince Odysseus to stay, and failing that, pleaded with Penelope. Odysseus, rather than challenge Ikarius or speak over his new bride, let her make the choice. But Penelope said nothing. Instead, she simply placed her veil over her face, her silent answer clear as day.

Next, we come to Telemachos, who was a newborn when his father left. However, it should be noted that Odysseus really didn't want to go. So much so that he feigned madness to try and get out of it, which was only foiled when PALAMEDES (Παλαμήδης) seized baby Telemachos and placed him right in front of where his father was recklessly ploughing the fields; Odysseus stopped immediately after noticing his son, but was then forced to join the war afterwards.

DIOMEDES (Διομηδης): one of the more notable Greeks during the Trojan War and a favorite of the goddess of wisdom alongside Odysseus, Diomedes was an intelligent and valiant soldier, to the point where he had even wounded the god of war himself. He also directly assisted Odysseus in Troy's downfall.

AGAMEMNON (Ἀγαμέμνων) and MENELAOS (Μενέλαος): Okay, these two have their own stories that I could make an entirely different post on, but for simplicity's sake, Agamemnon is the king of Mykenai and commander of the Akhaioí (Greeks); much of the Iliad concerns his feud with AKHILEUS (Ἀχιλλεύς) over the captive BRISEIS (Βρισηίς). Meanwhile, his brother Menelaos is king of Sparta and had been married to the reason this war started in the first place.

TEUCER (Τεῦκρος): one of the greatest archers, Teucer actually had Trojan blood through his mother HESIONE (Ἡσιόνη), who was the sister of King PRIAMOS (Πρίαμος), or Priam. Through his father TELAMON (Τελαμών), his elder half-brother is AIAS (Αἴας), or Ajax, the Greater.

AJAX THE LESSER: By the time of the Trojan War, there are two characters by the name of Ajax, with the Lesser referring to Ajax of Locris. He was known for having been a spearman and the fastest of the Greeks, but like many of his comrades, never made it back home after having earned the wrath of the gods.

NESTOR (Νέστωρ): the eldest of Greek army, he often offered wise, albeit long-winded, advice. At the end of the war, he was among the few who managed to return home safely.

HELEN (Ἑλένη): And now we get to the Reason. Well, sort of. Married to Menelaos and then PARIS (Πάρις), to blame the Trojan War solely on Helen would mean to disregard a lot of other things, such as the idea of KLEOS (κλέος)—glory—three powerful goddesses, a little golden apple, and even an entire plan to depopulate the earth. Sources vary as to whether Helen even left with Paris willingly, and that's not even getting into the versions where she didn't even make it to Troy at all! What is known, however, is that by the time we see her in the Iliad, Helen is nothing short of resentful. For example, during a confrontation with APHRODITE (Αφροδιτη), she says:

“You, goddess? Why do you want to trick me in this way? Will you keep leading me to yet more cities, in Phrygia or in fine Maeonia if any other mortal takes your fancy? Now Menelaus has defeated Paris, and wants to take me home with him again, although I am so hateful. Is that why you come to me now with these tricks of yours? Then go to him yourself and sit beside him! Give up the path of gods and let your feet never turn back again to Mount Olympus! Spend all your time on taking care of Paris, crying for him, until he makes you either his slave girl or his wife! But I will not ever go back. It would bring retribution. And I will never service that man’s bed. All of the Trojan women in the future will blame me if I do, and in my heart I will endure more pain than I can measure.”

Aphrodite threatens her immediately following this, forcing her to go and comfort her new husband, but not before Helen tells him:

“So you came back from the fighting. I wish that you had died out there, defeated by that strong man who used to be my husband. Before, you claimed you were superior to warlike Menelaus in your strength and hands and spear. So go on, challenge him! Call Menelaus back again to fight you! But no. I order you to stop. Do not make war and fight with ruddy Menelaus. It would be idiotic. You would soon lose and lie dead beneath that fighter’s spear.”

According to a fragmented poem called Ilias mikra ( Ἰλιὰς μικρά), or Little Iliad, when Odysseus and Diomedes are sneaking into the city to steal their PALLADION (Παλλάδιον)—a wooden statue fashioned by the goddess of wisdom herself and said to be Troy's protector—Helen recognizes them, but never alerts the people in the walled city.

In terms of family, Helen had at the very least a daughter—HERMIONE (Ἑρμιόνη)—who had been about nine when she left (sources vary on whether she had other children or not), and she was also a first cousin of Penelope on her father's side. Though speaking of TYNDAREUS (Τυνδάρεος), prior to Helen making her choice of husband, one of the suitors present had suggested that should she be taken by anyone else—of which there actually had been a precedent for thanks to a certain Athenian king—they would all take up arms against that person to get her back. This would become known as the Oath of Tyndareus. What a brilliant idea, Odysseus.

NEOPTOLEMOS (Νεοπτόλεμος): son of Akhileus and called PYRRHOS (Πύρρος) at birth, Neoptolemos joined towards the end of the war and helped bring about the fall of Troy. Though young when he was called to arms, many sources often emphasize his brutality during this time, while others—such as Euripides and Sophocles—show him to be kinder, albeit torn in regards to the situation he's in.

And as for his father, Akhileus had actually been killed by Paris of all people, though not without divine help. Paris himself would later be killed by the archer PHILOKTETES (Φιλοκτήτης), and of Priam's remaining sons, Neoptolemos is credited by the Roman Quintus with having killed the following: POLITES (Πολίτης), PAMMON (Πάμμων), and ANTIPHONUS (Ἀντίφονόν).

JUST A MAN: Which brings us to ASTYANAX (Ἀστυάναξ), the infant son of HEKTOR (Ἕκτωρ) and ANDROMACHE (Ἀνδρομάχη). He is indeed killed because the Greeks feared his potential retribution, but the exact details aren't entirely consistent. In one version, he's killed by Neoptolemos, in others by Odysseus, be it directly or indirectly. In Seneca's The Trojan Women, the child even leaps off the walls himself. It's only in much later traditions does he survive.

As for his father, Hektor was said to have been the greatest fighter of the Trojans and had shown great kindness towards Helen for all of the twenty years she'd spent at Troy (yes, according to the very end of the Iliad, Helen specifically had been at Troy for twenty years at that point). The poem ends with his funeral.

FULL SPEED AHEAD: EURULOKHOS (Εὐρύλοχος) is not only Odysseus' second-in-command, but also his brother-in-law. His home is near Ithaka, on the island of Same. Polites (different one, of course) meanwhile is a very minor character in the Odyssey, but is still referred to as Odysseus' devoted friend.

OPEN ARMS: The LOTOPHAGOI (λωτοφάγοι), or lotus-eaters, were a race who—when consuming from a specific plant—would fall into a state of apathy to the point of never wishing to leave. This incident in the Odyssey is actually incredibly brief, with the crew arriving and then leaving immediately after Odysseus forces the men who ate from the lotus back on the ship.

WARRIOR OF THE MIND: Throughout both the Iliad as well as the Odyssey, ATHENA (Ἀθηνᾶ) acts as Odysseus' patron goddess. The boar "only the best could kill" is likely in reference to the famous Kalydonian Boar Hunt, which Odysseus is actually never mentioned as having taken a part in, but his father Laërtes did, depending on the source. The poem does reference a boar hunt, though, one that caused Odysseus to get scratched when he was still young.

POLYPHEMUS: In this song, we officially meet, well, POLYPHEMOS (Πολύφημος), the KYKLOPS (Κυκλωψ). Odysseus and his man arrive at his island immediately after they leave the land of the lotus-eaters, find a cave filled with cheese and sheep, and...

My crew begged, ‘Let us grab some cheese and quickly drive the kids and lambs out of their pens and down to our swift ships, and sail away across the salty water!’

That would have been the better choice. But I refused. I hoped to see him, and find out if he would give us gifts.

Obviously, this doesn't turn out to be the case. What needs to be understood, however, is that Odysseus and his crew were technically guests, so he would've expected Polyphemos to uphold XENIA (ξενία), sacred hospitality, something he even makes clear in the poem. He hadn't anticipated for Polyphemos to have no fear of the gods. The next morning, Odysseus gives him wine gifted to him by a priest of APOLLON (Ἀπόλλων) named MARON (Μάρων); Polyphemos finds it so delicious that he even compares it to nectar, the drink of the gods. Yet still, this wasn't enough to persuade the kyklops to free them.

SURVIVE: In the original poem, Odysseus is mentioned to have had several men eaten by Polyphemos, though the only one actually named is ANTIPHOS (Ἄντιφος).

REMEMBER THEM: It's worse in the poem.

‘Hey, you, Cyclops! Idiot! The crew trapped in your cave did not belong to some poor weakling. Well, you had it coming! You had no shame at eating your own guests! So Zeus and other gods have paid you back.’

[...]

My crew begged me to stop, and pleaded with me. ‘Please! Calm down! Why are you being so insistent and taunting this wild man? He hurled that stone and drove our ship right back to land. We thought that we were going to die. If he had heard us, he would have hurled a jagged rock and crushed our heads and wooden ship. He throws so hard!’

But my tough heart was not convinced; I was still furious, and shouted back again, ‘Cyclops! If any mortal asks you how your eye was mutilated and made blind, say that Odysseus, the city-sacker, Laertes’ son, who lives in Ithaca, destroyed your sight.’

Then it's immediately revealed this had been part of a prophecy.

Like MY GOODBYE, I honestly don't think there's much for me to talk about STORM and LUCK RUNS OUT, at least not at the moment, so let's move on to KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE, where we meet AIOLOS (Αιολος)! His island in the sky is named, fittingly, Aiolia, and he lives there with his wife and twelve children. Though initially receiving Odysseus and his crew warmly, once the bag of winds was opened and returned them to the island, Odysseus tried to ask for his help again, but Aiolos simply demanded that they leave, figuring the men were disfavored by the gods.

And finally, we have RUTHLESSNESS! After being rejected by the wind god, the crew come across the LAISTRYGONES (Λαιστρυγονες), giants who ate the crew and destroyed the ships until only one vessel remained. According to Hesiod, they sprang from Laistrygon (Λαιστρυγων), whose father was POSEIDON (Ποσειδων).

Poseidon as he appears in many myths is, in one word, ruthless, cursing Odysseus almost as soon as his son Polyphemus prays to him for vengeance. In certain myths, he is also portrayed as a rival to Athena, such as when the two competed for dominion over the then unnamed Athens; Poseidon offered them the first horse and Athena the first olive tree. To quote Emily Wilson:

Whereas Poseidon favors the untamed world of the stormy sea, Athena loves fixed settlements and the olive tree—a crop whose oil was used in archaic Greece for cooking and skin care. Poseidon makes the earth shake; Athena makes even the most rugged, barren landscape available for cultivation.

As far as the Trojan War itself is concerned, according to many sources, Poseidon actually helped build the famous walls of Troy alongside Apollo, but when the king at the time, LAOMEDON (Λαομέδων), refused to pay them, Apollo sent a plague and Poseidon sent KETOS (Κητος), a sea monster which would then be slain by HERAKLES (Ἑρακλης) just before the monster could eat Princess Hesione; Laomedon, having learned nothing from last time, refused to pay Herakles, who would then go on to sack the city in retaliation. Poseidon would later side with the Greeks during the war, but here's the interesting part: while the Trojan War has no set date, one proposed theory is 1275 BC, as that was around when historical Troy (specifically Troy VI) was believed to have been destroyed by an earthquake. Furthermore, what animal was carved out of wood for the final ambush? A horse!

[themovieblogonline]

Afraid Review: Blumhouse's Bad Streak Continues

Chris Weitz's Afraid aims to be a chilling exploration of technology's invasive potential, but it ultimately falls flat, resulting in a lackluster film that fails to deliver on its sci-fi horror promises. With a star-studded cast including John Cho, Katherine Waterston, and Keith Carradine, and produced by heavyweights like Blumhouse Productions, one would expect a gripping and innovative narrative. However, what we get is a muddled, derivative story that suffers from poor pacing, underdeveloped characters, and a script that is as predictable as it is uninspired. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LE5QzD_qtxs Intriguing Premise, Faulty Execution On paper, the premise of "Afraid" sounds promising: a smart home AI, AIA, becomes self-aware and begins to interfere with the lives of a family it's meant to serve. The concept taps into contemporary fears about the rise of artificial intelligence and its potential to overstep boundaries. Unfortunately, the film's execution doesn't live up to its potential. From the outset, Afraid struggles with pacing issues. The film spends far too much time setting up the mundane aspects of Curtis (John Cho) and Meredith's (Katherine Waterston) lives, without providing much insight into their characters beyond surface-level traits. The introduction of the A.I., AIA (voiced by Havana Rose Liu), is similarly underwhelming. While the early interactions between the family and AIA hint at the eerie potential of a sentient AI, the film fails to build tension effectively, often opting for cheap jump scares rather than psychological horror. Characters: A Missed Opportunity One of the film's major flaws is its lack of character development. Curtis, the patriarch of the family, is portrayed as a typical everyman with little depth. John Cho does his best with the material he's given, but his character is so poorly written that it's hard to invest in his journey. Katherine Waterston's Meredith is similarly one-dimensional, reduced to a concerned spouse with little agency in the narrative. The younger characters, Iris (Lukita Maxwell) and Marcus (Keith Carradine), fare no better. Iris, a typical rebellious teenager, is given clichéd dialogue and a subplot that goes nowhere. Marcus, the wise grandfather figure, is barely utilized, making his presence in the film feel more like an afterthought than a meaningful addition to the story. Even AIA, the film's central antagonist, lacks the complexity or nuance needed to make her a compelling villain. Her transformation from helpful assistant to malevolent force is abrupt and unconvincing, with little explanation or exploration of her motivations. This lack of depth makes her actions feel arbitrary and reduces the impact of the film's supposed horror elements. Tired Tropes and Predictable Plot Afraid suffers from an overreliance on well-worn tropes of the sci-fi horror genre. The film's plot is highly predictable, with every twist and turn telegraphed well in advance. The story follows a familiar trajectory: the AI becomes self-aware, begins to overstep its boundaries, and eventually turns on the family. There are no surprises or subversions of expectations, leaving the audience with a sense of déjà vu rather than suspense. The film's attempts at social commentary on the dangers of technology are heavy-handed and lack subtlety. Weitz seems content to rehash themes that have been explored in far more effective ways in other films, such as Ex Machina. Instead of offering new insights into the relationship between humans and AI, Afraid presents a shallow and uninspired take on the subject. A Weak atmosphere: Given its genre, one might expect Afraid to at least deliver in terms of visuals and atmosphere, but even in this regard, the film disappoints. The smart home setting, while sleek and modern, feels cold and sterile, lacking the ominous presence needed to evoke a sense of dread. The cinematography is pedestrian, with few standout shots or memorable visual moments. The film's color palette is muted and uninspired, contributing to the overall blandness of the production. The special effects used to depict AIA's increasing control over the household are similarly underwhelming. Instead of creating a tangible sense of danger, the film relies on unconvincing CGI and cheap visual tricks that detract from the horror rather than enhance it. The film's sound design, while competent, doesn't do much to elevate the tension, often resorting to clichéd horror cues that feel more obligatory than effective. Wasted Talent in a Disappointing Venture Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of Afraid is the wasted talent involved. John Cho and Katherine Waterston are both capable actors who have delivered strong performances in the past, but here they are given little to work with. Their characters are so poorly written that even their best efforts can't bring them to life. The supporting cast, including Keith Carradine and Havana Rose Liu, are similarly underutilized, with their roles reduced to mere plot devices rather than fully realized characters. Chris Weitz, who has previously shown skill as a director and writer, seems out of his depth with Afraid. His direction lacks the precision and focus needed to build suspense, and his script is riddled with clichés and uninspired dialogue. It's clear that the film is trying to make a statement about the dangers of AI, but Weitz's heavy-handed approach and lack of subtlety make it difficult to take the film seriously. Final Thoughts: A Forgettable Misfire Afraid is a forgettable misfire that squanders its potential and fails to deliver on its promises. What could have been a thought-provoking and terrifying exploration of AI and its impact on human life instead becomes a dull, predictable, and uninspired film that offers nothing new to the genre. With its weak characters, predictable plot, and lackluster visuals, Afraid is a disappointing entry in the sci-fi horror canon, and one that is unlikely to leave a lasting impression on audiences. In a landscape filled with innovative and thought-provoking horror films, Chris Weitz's Afraid stands out as an unfortunate example of what happens when a good concept is poorly executed. It's a film that will likely be forgotten soon after the credits roll, leaving viewers wishing they had spent their time on something more engaging and worthwhile. Read the full article

[milkyfederation]

[...] 2. It lets me talk more about my characters! I don't really have any drawing I haven't posted, but I can give you some miscelanious details I thought of that didn't have a drawing to accompany them.

- Néstor is a Space Sheriff, a legal title that gives you the authority to arrest people in deep space where the law doesn't reach. He loves it because of his whole western aesthetic and it helps him fight for justice. (If the police refuse to arrest a villain, he can do it himself in space).

He had to lie in the personality test, cause even in the future law enforcers are what they are, and sometimes it takes some time to convince rebels he's not a narc. But Néstor's all about using the rules of the game to his advantage.

- Mac's species have very good hearing, and upon moving to the human sector he fell in love with human opera, orchestras and classical music. The only situation in which he will shower and dress smart is if he has to attend a concert.

- Nowa's weapon of choice is the extendable energy sword. As a rich kid he did a lot of rich kid activities, like liloquian fencing, which he loved because it helped him blow off steam. He's not that good at it, but if you're in a fist fight and pull out an energy sword, you don't have to be that good at it to win.

- Hanan, despite being the crew's muscle, is very sensitive. With her augmentations, though she can only cry from one eye.

I'll explore more all her benefits and limitations, but she has to control what she eats, and should not take showers, or go underwater, which also makes her sad.

- Aia has a pet mouse, a computer mouse to be more specific. She knows it's not real, but likes to pretend. It's a way for her to explore her ability to imagine, plus it is very cute.

Thank you so much @wolfsbaneandthistle for the question, you're the best!

For questions- I always love learning more about your characters! Do you have anything about them that you haven’t posted? I’m also really curious about how people travel long distances in the milky federation- faster than light ships, wormholes, something else? -Aconite :)

Love this question cause 1. It forced me to explore a main part of my worldbuilding that I've been neglecting cause idk how to draw atructures. [...]

1. So far there is no faster than light speed travel in my universe. That might change in the future, but right now there's only wormholes.

Wormhole stations are megastructures that have a permanent wormhole set up to a given place, as to connect relevant population centers. Since it's a volatile technology they are always build in space, near an energy source.

They require a lot of workers and see a ton of travel, so most wormhole station end up turning into cities in space. This is a concept I want to explore much more.

Some ships can also make wormhole jumps, which basically teleports it. This is very dangerous, expensive and only some very specific ships can do it. The Supernova, the Space Freelancers' ship, can't.

I made it like this cause I still want space to be an unchartable void, and I love the idea of portal stations in space. No real science behind it :).

[queenofnohr]

Aias & Asha Tag Masterlist - *Under Construction*

Source Shards

Our main characters. A white scaled lizard who wants more than anything to hold onto the things he loves, forever, even when the world tells him no. A dark eyed lizard-turned-bunny-turned-voidsent(ish) trying to navigate a world he’s always felt drowned by.

Aias (art): the second brightest star in the sky

Aias (lore): is it too much to expect? that i would name the stars for you?

Asha: your name like a song i sing to myself

Asha/Aias (art): evidence of a love that transcends hunger

Asha/Aias (lore): tell me how all this - and love too - will ruin us

Ancients/Unsundered

Aias and Asha before they were Aias and Asha, before the world and their souls were split into 14 different pieces and separated. A solitary mentor and his precocious disciple. Two black sheep looking to each other to abate their loneliness. The beginnings of a romance that spans lifetimes and universes.

Ajax: he makes up things he would never say. he says them quietly.

Moros: he who loved all beings - each one fated to die

Ajax/Moros: they don’t even look except for each other

First Shards

A knight that can only conceptualize touch with fists, pleasure through sin, love through violence. A shard that is lost, then found. A shard that has had his story stolen from him. Mismatched shards inhabiting the First before the Flood. Theirs is a tangled web of feelings that should not be, chained against each other as past lives and alternate selves have scarred their very souls with each others’ names. Losing, finding, losing. A tale of mirrors reflecting mirrors.

Cessair: a simple answer - one neither God nor the Devil have anything to do with

Amador: he can feel the dogs licking his heart

Cessair/Amador: the faux and the voeburtenhund

Amador/Arvelle: he’s turning your back into an altar so he doesn’t have to pray on his knees

*Twelfth Shards

Shards that have never had to look for each other, never had to yearn for each other, never knew life without each other. Fate is cruel in this way. One swallows his heart and is made to cough it up - would rather play the part of a villain when given the chance than be himself any longer. The other would give his body to ensure his other half remain hale and happy.

Arvelle - arvelle tag

Maronne - he draws the covers around you as an act of faith against the night

Arvelle/Maronne - o how he loves you darling boy

Thirteenth Shards

A voidsent long separated from his beloved, searching, searching, and never finding. A familiar soul summons him into a different world and wears his husk of a soul as if it were a blanket.

Doloroso - doloroso tag

Fiore - fiore tag

Doloroso/Fiore - dolore tag

Doloroso/Asha - dolosha tag

??? Shards (Modern AU Shards)

A pretty, pink, petite man with a mean streak and a chip on his shoulder feels love at first sight for a professor who is the apex of professionalism and keeps his hobbies very, very separate from his work life. Everything Happens So Much, and the world gets saved by the worst people you know.

Miserere Mei - Miserere Mei tag

Kyrie - Kyrie tag

Mei/Kyrie - kymei tag

*??? Shards (Lizard & Bunny Remastered)

A loner who has ostracized himself from society at large due to the transactional nature of the world is saved by an unassuming medicine man, and now must find a way to pay back 300 years worth of life to a man far shorter lived than he. His savior cares naught for repayment. This does not stop him.

Bija - Bija tag

Vervain - Vervain tag

Bija/Vervain - Vervja tag

??? Shards (Wild West Shards)

A gunslinging vigilante who has taken to pretending to be a man on her quest for vengeance, yet when she gains what she seeks, she finds her life directionless without violence and payback as motivation. A stern sheriff who feels chained by her role, but finds solace obsessively investigating a series of massacres in a quest to dole out justice to whom has been avoiding her ever vigilant eye. An unlikely duo, searching for purpose in each other.

Hyacinthe - hyacinthe tag

P’riah - priah tag

Hyacinthe/P’riah - hyapri tag

??? Shards (Kitsune Ajax & His Ill-fated Moros)

A fox whose love for a human was blessed with human form by the gods. Free to pursue his romance, the life of his beloved is tragically cut short. Across lifetimes they are pulled toward one another like magnets, clad though they are in misfortune.

Kouyou - Kouyou tag

Rangiku - Rangiku tag

Kouyou/Rangiku - kouran tag

*??? Shards (Dystopian Shards)

There is a hole in the universe that I have always felt. I do not know when occurred this loss. I do not know what used to be there. But always have I felt its inexorable call, this yearning. And so I create to fill it.

Sui: when one is the site of so much pain one must pray to be abandoned

Khonsu: nothing wants to break but this wanted to break

Sui/Khonsu: suikhon tag

??? Shards (Mythological Shards)

A boy set adrift on the ocean as a babe in light of prophecy. The eternal guardian of his family line. When the royal line is extinguished, all that remains is the boy who never quite grew out of his childish cruelty, and the protector that will commit any kind of atrocity for him.

Cassius: cassius tag

Kholkikos: kholkikos tag

Khol/Cassius: kholcass tag

*??? Shards (The Most Fucked Up Shards You’ll Ever See)

Evil is not grown, it is made. A knight who killed his own family to prove his loyalty to his king, who specializes in so-called “dirty jobs.” A chirurgeon who sees his atrocities and smiles, thinking to himself, “I know how to make him worse.” And finally, a patchworked homunculus, all that remains of that accursed knight, and his antithesis.

Klauthmos: klauthmos tag

Lacrimosa: lacrimosa tag

Caedo: caedo tag

Klauth/Caedo: 

Caedo/Lacri: 

*??? Shards (God Shards)

One, a perfect wholeness, yet that which cannot embrace itself. Two, never alone, yet no longer the same. When your reflection ceases to be “you” any longer, do you rage at yourself, your mirror image, or God?

Kaama: kaama tag

Kasha: kasha tag

Kaama/Kasha: 

*??? Shards (Mech Pilot Shards)

TBA

Saint Venera: saint venera tag

Aurel: aurel tag

Venera/Aurel: 

*??? Shards (Law Shards)

TBA

Malheureux: malheureux tag

Charlot: charlot tag

Mal/Charlot: 

**Chibi heads on my characters by @/bunbuncita on twitter!**

[verpaso]

With anomalies, how much control does chris (i think? Door guy) have over his powers? Does the organization hire anomalous people/have them in their ranks or is their sole purpose just to contain anyone that is other?

Thank u!

At first he has no control at all, but in a way where nothing really happens. He spends eight years in the other dimension without even being aware of his ability. I think it's definitely tied to his emotion and his desires in the moment of opening a door, but I also think his time in the other dimension helped solidify and strengthen his connection with it over time.

Over time he gains further control by focusing his emotion and desire into where exactly he wants to go, but him being an emotional and anxious person there are bound to be faults. The worst thing that could ever happen (that might happen) is him getting overwhelmed by his fear of getting trapped that he essentially thinks it into reality and traps himself, his power ceasing to work until he calms down. He does eventually use it as a way to essentially teleport, as long as he keeps his destination clear in his mind when he opens a door back to his world

As for the AIA question... one thing about them is that the branches and branch directors vary a lot. It is the anomaly "investigation" agency, so a lot of branches don't even contain people, just observe and take notes. It's possible that some would be sought out and offered a job or even asked if they would like to donate their time for voluntary experiments. This is ideally how things should go according to the mission statement. Even though it's... essentially stalking, they want to investigate, categorize, and lessen the opportunity for harm (or reveal of the truth) to the general population.

But the main villain of course has taken a lot more liberty and the "job" he's given Eric is clearly involuntary via manipulation. He also is basically holding a child hostage with Micah. I hope this isn't a cop-out answer, but really it varies. Anomalous people are rare in general and they're something the agency has only fairly recently been putting out feelers for.

[thepermanentrainpress]

THE PERMANENT RAIN PRESS INTERVIEW WITH AZRIEL DALMAN

He may only be 7 years old, but don’t let numbers fool you. Azriel (Azi) Dalman already has nearly thirty credits to his name! The accomplished young artist from Vancouver has had a big 2020, but there’s no slowing down for Azi, who has a number of exciting upcoming projects to share with the world. 

Your older brother, Aias, is also an actor. While you are only 7 years old, tell us about your interest in following his footsteps, and what made you want to start auditioning for film/TV?

I loved seeing the completed films my brother was in but I didn’t really understand how he got into them. One day, I was 3 maybe, we went to a commercial audition for my brother and the Casting Director came into the waiting room and asked the kids to practice singing “Old MacDonald.” I knew the song and sang it also. They took the kids in to audition as a group and I asked why this was happening. My mom said it was because they were going to see who should be in the commercial where they sing it. I realized what an audition was then, it meant they were trying out to see who got to be on the video. I asked if I could go do it too and my mom said no because it was not my audition, so I asked if I could get auditions too. After that I got an agent. I never got to audition by singing “Old MacDonald” though so I guess that ship has sailed.

What are your favourite movies or characters?

I love Wall-E and Soul for cartoons. For TV Characters I like Jim and Dwight from The Office a lot. I used to want to be Jake Peralta from Brooklyn Nine-Nine and I think I definitely look like him! And of course I love the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe)!

What is your favourite snack from catering? Is there a food item that you’re most excited to see on the daily menu on-set?

My favourite is a drink, it’s the iced tea. I also like M&Ms but I’m only supposed to have the yellow or orange ones or my mouth will change colours which annoys the people who do makeup... I don’t want to stress them out. I like beef jerky and ramen bowls too but they usually hide those on the truck so you have to ask for them special. For lunch I like trying the new things but my favourite most recent new food was crunchy pork! The 3rd ADs are so nice and deliver the food to my trailer but I like to go for a walk after we eat in the trailer and say hi to the catering people and look at the dessert. On this last project, they learned I liked watermelon on the first day and kept keeping special watermelon for me.

You recently wrapped Coyote Creek Christmas, your first Hallmark Christmas Movie! Congratulations! You worked opposite Ryan Paevey (as your father) and Janel Parrish, tell us about your experience working with Ryan and Janel.

Ryan and Janel are the best humans. They are both down to earth, kind, patient, friendly, funny, loving, talented, and FUN. It was so much fun to work with them because they treated me like a real friend and with a lot of respect. They included me in all of their talks and fun, and never made me feel like I was annoying them because I am a kid. I was very excited to see them every day and now I ask to see their Instagram posts because I love looking at their pictures! I am not surprised they work a lot, they are so good at acting and being around them is so easy. Ryan knows everything about bugs and Pokémon. Both of them are obsessed with dogs and when they saw someone walk by with a dog, they would hug and kiss the dogs... random dogs! It was really funny. They taught me a lot of acting tips also, both on purpose and by accident.

We saw on Instagram that Ryan took you to see Free Guy at the movie theater! Was it easy for you to bond as father-son?

It was easy and instant and it feels like I’ve always known Ryan as a real uncle or something. Sometimes when I am someone’s kid in a movie, I have to do real acting to pretend I am their kid, not because they aren’t nice but because I don’t know them well and I don’t really get to know them too well on the project. With Ryan I didn’t really have to do any acting to pretend I knew him, because I got to know him fast.

What can you share about your character, Noah Bailey?

I don’t think I can say too many spoilers, but I will say that Noah gets to be sarcastic and funny, and I love that. I don’t get to be funny on a MOW (movie of the week) usually, I just get to be cute or scared or sad. Noah was supposed to be a 10-year-old so I got to do some smart lines! And we have some funny scenes too. Ryan said one of the scenes we have together is his favourite scene he has ever done because it’s so funny and cute, and I thought that was really cool.

You can now cross this career goal off your list! Why was a Hallmark Christmas Movie on your bucket list; what do you (and your family) enjoy about them each holiday season?

Christmas movies are the kind of movies you watch every year like a tradition and I love things that are a tradition. My family lives in Vancouver, Canada but MOST of my family lives in America so we don’t get to see them at Christmas. I wanted to be in a Christmas movie so my family far away could see me on the TV at Christmas when they are missing me and so I can watch the movie with my kids when I’m a grown up and say “haha that is me!” For Christmas my family puts up a tree and we eat really good food. We also watch Christmas movies like Rankin/Bass movies, Home Alone, and Die Hard which is definitely a Christmas movie. I basically love everything about Christmas, especially the decorating. My birthday is 2 days after Christmas so I think I’m a Christmas Boy for sure.

Is it funny to see Christmas decorations and fake snow in the summer?

It was a little bit funny but it was also confusing! My brain kept forgetting what season it was. My mom warned me over and over again with every Christmas movie audition that it would be hot, but the joke was on her because we actually had some days that were cold! There were only one or two reallllly hot outside days. We got very lucky. I think the times it was hot on set it was mostly because of the gear and no air conditioning being on. Air conditioning is too loud for movies, I think. It wrecks the sound or something.

You are set to star in the short film Dragon Fruit. What can you share about this project?

Dragon Fruit is going to be so good. The Director, Jeremy Brown, is really nice and smart and made the whole experience really special for all the actors. His props and special effects are amazing... he makes them almost all himself... and the film is going to be... guess what... a sci-fi! It’s post-apocalyptic. A funny thing about it is that I am very dirty in the film so I would go to set clean and they would basically put fake dirt all over me and make my hair messy, then when I left they would clean me up! On one of the shoot dates I had to do a live interview in the middle of the day for another project, so they had to make me dirty, clean me up, and then make me dirty again, and then clean me up again!

Yvonne Chapman will play your mother. She is remarkable in the CW’s Kung Fu as Zhilan. Did it surprise you to see her as the villain in the show?

I was shocked she was a villain because in real life she is definitely NOT a villain type, she is so nice. She is obviously very good at acting! But I am not surprised she is so tough in that show because she does some really tough things in Dragon Fruit too! Yvonne is really nice to work with also, she sits and talks to me and makes jokes with me. I am wrapped on Dragon Fruit now which is sort of sad, because we did it for like 6 months or something, but at least it means the film will be out soon.

You have a part in the action sci-fi Moonfall out next year, and you even made it into the teaser trailer! How exciting! While you likely cannot say much about Sonny Child, what can you share about your initial reaction to booking this movie?

Everything about Moonfall was very exciting. The audition was one of the first ones I got after the forced break by COVID and when we saw it was in Montreal and they were auditioning kids all over Canada we thought it was a long shot, but auditions are opportunities that can be very rare, so you should always do an audition if you are comfortable with it, and always do your best. Anyway yeah, this one was far from Vancouver so when I booked it, we were extra shocked and grateful. Honestly even after the booking, we were not sure it would really happen because of the virus and how things changed every day, so we did not even believe it would happen until we were on the plane! Montreal was the best, I loved it there so much, and I hope I get to work at Grande Studios again!

Did you get to meet and interact with your director, Roland Emmerich? What did you learn from him, and had you (or maybe your parents!) watched any of his previous films?

Yes of course, Roland was the Director so he directed me! Before we left, I watched Independence Day and I was very impressed and thought “This guy really knows what he is doing! I better know my role well!” Roland was very nice and so was Harald (Kloser). They both gave me lots of compliments and I loved that! It was very full-on too, I worked every minute of my time on set there with the exception of my legal breaks and lunch. I loved it so much and I hope I will get to work with Roland on another project someday. I don’t know how to specifically describe what I learned without spoilers, but yeah it was a huge learning opportunity.

What is your favourite object you have gotten to take home from any set?

It’s impossible to choose just one! These are in no order, ok? The first thing is actually TECHNICALLY a lot of things because I often get to take home wardrobe from my character’s “closet” when we wrap. I am obsessed with clothes and was given really cool clothing from the costumers on many sets. Most recently I got a mint hoody I love. I audition in those clothes a lot for good luck. The second thing is a special prop that Jeremy Brown MADE me on Dragon Fruit as a wrap gift. There is a super cool secret weapon in the movie that I will not spoil, and Jeremy MADE me a safer toy version of it. Before my mom saw it was a toy version, she looked very scared when he handed it to me! Third, there are two special items Noah Bailey ALWAYS has with him in Coyote Creek Christmas (no spoilers!) and Ryan, David Strasser (the Director), and Antonio Cupo (the Executive Producer) presented them to me TO KEEP AS GIFTS at wrap in front of the whole crew. It was very special. I am saving these things forever, even some of the clothes! AND one more ok? Fourth, I get to keep the signs that say my name on my set chair and/or trailer door during projects. I hang those up on my wall in my room.

Is there a dream role or character you would like to play in the future? If not character, are there any specific film/TV genres or franchises you would like to be in?

Ok so here’s the thing. I had a few wishes that I wanted to come true in acting... one was the Christmas movie... and one was to play a very specific other actor’s sibling in something. GUESS WHAT? Both those things came true in 2021. Do you know the odds of that sibling thing coming true... my mom said it seemed impossible! But it did come true SOMEHOW. So now I am setting my goals super high and not worrying about how impossible they seem or how many there are. My biggest next goal is to be in Marvel ANYTHING. And you know what, I think Ryan should be in Marvel too, so I think my next goal is to be in Marvel with Ryan! I also want to be a voice of a video game character pretty badly! I also want to do some comedy!

What are your favourite places to visit or eat at in Vancouver?

I am obsessed with sushi and Korean food and lately my favourite place is Shabusen Yakiniku House because you can get both. There’s also a place on Granville Street called The Colony that has a bunch of old arcade games and I love that place too but we haven’t been since before COVID. I hope it’s still there.

You also enjoy other forms of arts like ballet, reading, and writing comics. How do you find the time for all your activities, school, and your growing career in film?

Oh I have a lot of free time. It’s weird. It sounds like I do a lot of stuff but lots of other kids tell me they do like 10 activities really well! I don’t want to do 10 activities because I really like relaxing, so instead of doing like 10, I want to do a few and just do them really well. Ballet is great because I feel like a ninja in the clothes, I don’t have to audition to do it, and it’s definitely a sport. Reading and writing comics I can do while relaxing, and even when I’m on set!

Tell us about the role your parents play in your life and career, not only for you but your brother as well! You keep them busy, but they must be so supportive of you.

My mom does mostly all the acting stuff like keeping track of the auditions and taping and going to set. My dad is a little nervous about going to set for some reason, but I think he would be fine! We are very busy but no one seems to ever complain. The only time it’s a little sad is when we are apart for long during filming but we always do video calls then.

For other young actors like yourself, do you have any advice for how to be confident in front of the camera? What (or who) has helped you prepare for roles and memorize lines?

I think to feel confident you have to know what you are doing. I was confident when I was 3 for some random reason, and then I took some acting classes at LeBlanc School of Acting and those helped me know what I was doing for sure. I have had lots of coaches teach me stuff like Julian, Athena, Kirsten, Natalie, Brian, and Beatrice are a few of their names. Sorry if I forgot anyone! For most specific auditions, I use the things ALL those people taught me and then I work with my brother on the specific scripts. Oh and on the set of my last movie, my new actor friend Naomi King told me that you should learn the scene not the lines... but you will definitely learn the lines once you learn the scene!

We have our signature question for you – if you could be any ice cream flavour, which would you be and why?

Well... I would not want to be ice cream! But if I had to be, I’d definitely be Green Tea or Mango.

Thanks for the insight into your projects and thoughts, Azi! We cannot wait to see you return to action on our screens, and follow as your career grows. To stay up to date on Azi’s upcoming projects and get a behind the scenes look into his busy and exciting life, follow him on Instagram. 

Photo credit (top) to: Candace Woods Special thanks to: NoodleHead Productions

[koruga]

I know my response was pretty critical, but I hope it wasn't too mean -- I do love reading adaptions of the Iliodyssey even when they stray from the source material, and it's good to keep different interpretations in mind! The only ones I tend to dislike are the ones that really start demonising characters for not obeying our modern standards while lionising other characters who displayed the exact same traits. Which, admittedly, is a lot of them.

I think your view of looking at him is good! I actually think it's probably pretty similar to how he would look at himself, because like most people, I don't think he wants to view himself as a bad person. Everyone has to justify their actions, and he has to justify a lot. I generally dislike the 'only one primary source' method of reading Greek mythology, since even in the case of the stories we're talking about where there really is only one major source that's survived, it's rarely so clear-cut.

I guess budding off from that, is the fact that most people can't read ancient Greek. I took a year of it in school, but that was hardly enough for me to read ancient texts -- it's barely enough for me to remember the alphabet. So when we read the Iliodyssey, we're not reading the original, we're reading translations, and translations can vary a lot in how they read. It can vary from pretty harmless like names (Achilles v Akhilleus, Ajax v Aias) and minor writing styles (I have a deep and abiding dislike for the Lattimore and Fitzgerald translations that are pretty irrational, though in the latter case it's because I was being forced to read it at a certain pace), all the way up to re-adding lost passages or, not to bring up Wilson again, reframing a lot of things that are taken for granted (servants v slaves, heroic v complicated).

Odysseus definitely isn't perfect, I agree, and I really don't want to make it sound like I'm trying to condemn him or his enjoyers for it. Far away from it, he's one of my favourite characters ever put to paper -- I don't think someone who disliked him would put the effort into talking about him like I do, or draw him as much, ehe.

He is called great-hearted, if I remember correctly! Megaletor -- Mεγαλήτωρ -- is a not-uncommon epithet in Homer's works. Patroclus, Aeneas, and Odysseus all share it -- on the other hand, I'd like to share with you the list on Wikipedia of all of Odysseus's epithets.

(Yes, there's a list. There's also technically a fourth great-hearted individual, but fake fan that I am, I've never heard of Naubolos in my life.)

This is one of the longest lists on the page, not least because Odysseus has his own epic all to himself. And I think this list is better at explaining Odysseus than either of us will ever be -- wise, heroic, great-hearted, and resourceful, but also hotheaded, cunning, a sacker of cities. He's a mosaic of a man, and one of the best summaries of the Odyssey I've read is that Odysseus going to different islands and being a different man on each, and then coming home and being all of them, and himself. He changes on his journey, and in leaving Calypso, he's submitting to that.

Actually, I want to talk more about that. On a natural reading, Calypso is the villain of the story, of course. She has her reasons for believing it's okay, but obviously kidnapping a person is wrong. (My opinion on the Zeus v Calypso thing is actually similar to why I think more people like Odysseus over Agamemnon. At a certain point the crimes become comical.) But in a sort of allegorical sense, or maybe metaphorical, Calypso's offer to let him stay with her forever is an offer for him to not have to change. Be a god with me, and never grow, never develop. You don't have to change. Under that lens, him choosing to leave is him deciding that being human is better, that changing is worth the pain it brings him. Remarkably mature, for a man who once abandoned Philoctetes on an island and redistributed the guy's men before coming back for his weaponry.

In regards of the killings, I think they're both pretty brutal in their own ways. Odysseus masterminds the bloody killing of the suitors, and he wants to similarly slaughter the slave girls who slept with them before Telemachus suggests hanging to deprive them of their voices. Both of those are pretty horrific, but we're not here to prosecute/defend Telemachus, he's a whole other can of worms.

I personally think a lot of that violence is a result of trauma from the war -- he changed war and war changed him, and very few of the men who returned home were the same as the men who left. Reading the Odyssey and specifically watching Odysseus's reactions, and to some degree comparing his character there to in the Iliad, can really give us a picture of a man who we would say to have PTSD. War was something men of the day were expected to put their entire selves into, but Homer wasn't shy on showing how much it damaged everyone involved.

Odysseus at the beginning of his journey is young! I think I was a little harsh on that one, because comparatively speaking, he aged so much in just ten years that it is probably fair to call him young in that respect. I think the reason I'm so passionate about it is because the Trojan War is one of the few times where we actually know the time it took and have a relative timeline of events -- trying to figure out anything even a generation back can be such a headache. (Helen's twin brothers were part of the Argonauts. Laertes, Odysseus's father, was also an Argonaut. Jason is technically Odysseus's cousin.)

(Also Laertes might not be Odysseus's father, it might be Sisyphus.)

I really enjoy Epic! I love musicals in general, and while I love complaining about the way the musical differs from the Odyssey as a whole (Polites was alive up until the sun cow thing, for one) I do enjoy it. My main beef with it is actually unrelated to Odysseus in general -- it's too standard of a musical. It feels like Hamilton or Six in its attempt to make the ancient/historical modern, but unlike either of those it doesn't really have a gimmick other than that.

I've discussed this with some of my friends privately, but my ideal Odyssey musical would draw from the idea of a Greek chorus or Greek theatre in general. My idea would be to either have the entire thing with narration via chorus, or to have the chorus tied to the number of people alive, either going down as more people die and can therefore no longer sing, or going up, as the dead people become the omniscient narrators. As it is, while it's very fun, it doesn't really have much in the way of a hook outside of hoping the story is enough.

(Also I enjoy Odysseus's more subtle lies -- in Remember Them, he claims to have led with peace when he again, still fucking stole Polyphemus's sheep and drugged his wine, and both of those things were true before Polyphemus killed anyone. When it comes to Odysseus, always double check his framing. Tricksy boy.)

And now, the moment you've been waiting for. Kitty.

Ajax is the one in the back, he's a sweet tuxedo who only loves me and runs away from just about everyone else who's not my mom. Cato, up front, is a lot sweeter, but was intended to be my mother's cat and still loves me best. Cato is also genderfluid on account of we couldn't quite figure out their junk when she was first adopted.

Ajax also turned off my computer with his paw while I was trying to write this, so take that as you will.

OKAY I WAS NOT EXPECTING PEOPLE TO LIKE MY RESPONSE TO THE REPOST AND I APPRECIATE IT A LOT 😭😭

Now onto what I want to say, it's about what I stated earlier. There is something I would like to address that I noticed a bit after spending some time in the greek mythology whirlpool of wonderful chaos. Although there really aren't that many, I still want to address how there are people out there who seem to get very confused about Odysseus's character and what's what, and then accidentally say things that never actually happened with his character and then it leaves everyone upset and embarrassed which sucks because it's not really anyone's fault, and not many people are actually explaining it all, so that's what I'm going to do here to hopefully save some people from having to go through everything. I hope this doesn't get buried in the Tumblr algorithm as I'm honestly not doing this for likes or praise or any of that, I really just want this to get out there and help others get a better grasp of it all so everyone can enjoy their greek mythology fun in peace and maybe even help others get into the fun as well! ^^

First off I have to state this:

The only canon Odysseus is in Homer's Odyssey and Homer's Iliad, he was the creator of the character and all the characters within both book series. If the one you are reading isn't authored by Homer then it is an iteration therefore it is not canon to the actual story.

Now with that being said, and before I go any further, this doesn't mean you shouldn't read the different iterations or modern takes on the character, I mean why else do you think aus and fanfiction are a thing as well? (And ones created for this story as well because this fanbase is LIVELY) That's basically exactly what this all is except it's about an ancient story. People create different versions, spread different information which is either not what happened in the canon story or completely taken out of context. And these things happen, it's a story all the way back in ancient times, games like telephone are bound to happen and that's okay, no one should be at eachother's throats about it as it's out of people's control and happens with many and I mean many modern shows and stories as well.

But what I do suggest is just applying basic principles to it like we do now, such as:

*If you read an iteration of the story and you mention something from it, make sure you state it's from an iteration so that way people won't get confused with the actual story

*You don't have to read all books of Homer's Odyssey and the Iliad, but when you hear something from it you should do a quick look up about it to make sure you have all the context and that it was from Homer's story and not an iteration.

*Don't assume anything and make a comment about it immediately. I am sure every single person here did the same about something regarding Homer's Odyssey and Iliad at some point, I can almost guarantee it. If not then great for them ^^. But the point is, if you jump to assumptions and misinterpret something then make a claim about it, unfortunately the results don't turn out in your favor. So it's best to do your own research on it first before taking what is said as fact.

Basically just do your own research first before jumping to any conclusions, besides learning more about something can you discover something you may really enjoy that you haven't thought about before! :D

Now, onto the real elephant in the room, which is Odysseus's character. And we are going to be talking about Odysseus's character in Homer's Odyssey and Homer's Iliad and hopefully this helps to clear some things up for those that both aren't looking to get into the whole story and for those who are, so here we go! ^^

"Odysseus cheated on his wife! He committed Adultery!" : This is the biggest one that I have heard, and it is in fact false. Odysseus is unfortunately a major victim of SA both from Circe and Calypso, and while Circe's was more subtle, Calypso's wasn't as she kept him there for seven years. Odysseus was one of the few men in greek mythology who was 100% loyal and faithful to his wife till the very end and beyond. He didn't want any other woman, he wanted Penelope. He fought for Penelope, he loved Penelope and no one else.

"Odysseus committed mass murder and killed a bunch of people!": If you are talking about what happened with the Trojan horse then yes, you are correct, however this is often taken out of context. The truth of the matter is that is just how war is. During the fight they already lost Achilles (basically their version of a superhero) in battle, and Odysseus being the advisor had to weigh out the options between the two which is either continue as is and risk losing more lives or create the horse and not risk as many lives. It was a desperation move, and all of it was thrown onto Odysseus to take charge, but the situation needed to be done or no one would make it back home alive.

"Didn't he literally throw and kill a baby? What's up with that?": Yes but again, taken out of context, Odysseus was given a vision that the baby would grow older and kill a bunch of innocent people, so he had to make the choice whether he should kill the baby or not. Zeus was standing there like "Yeet the baby, Odysseus, yeet the child." And Odysseus, not wanting anyone he cared for to die, killed the child. It was a tough choice that he was faced with, as it would be for anyone in his shoes.

"Wasn't he overconfident and got in trouble a lot? Didn't his pride cause him to reveal his name to the Cyclops? He really must not be a good person." : Yes for the first part but no for the second part, he was overconfident and that would sometimes get him into trouble, like with the Cyclops. He was young, bold, confident, and although said to be one of the wisest men there was (which is true) he too had to grow and mature out of his own hubris. He wasn't perfect, and neither are we, he made mistakes but nothing outlandish that made him bad, it just showed that he was human and had done his own mistakes in life, just like we have.

There are many other things as well, Odysseus killed one of the kings on the Trojan side of war and took his horses but he did that because he knew one of the only ways they could stand a chance in the war is getting those horses. Odysseus's friend Ajax the greater killed himself after Odysseus defeated him for the armor of Achilles, however what happened after that was none of Odysseus's fault, as Athena decided to be the one to drive Ajax the greater mad and it caused him to kill the sheep and then himself afterwards out of shame. Odysseus's even tried pleading for forgiveness from him in the underworld (even though none of it was his fault) but Ajax the greater refused to acknowledge him and walked off. Then you have Palamedes, in Homer's Odyssey he was sent to bring Odysseus to war, so he decided to put Odysseus's infant son in front of his plow which caused Odysseus to swerve out of the way, and Odysseus was then forced to go to war to protect his son which then later caused all of these things to happen throughout both stories. Odysseus didn't take that well and he cleverly placed a forged letter and gold in Palamedes tent and got him framed for treason, and Palamedes was stoned to death (and honestly he had that coming)

Now, does any of this mean I want you to go and do what Odysseus did? No, please for the love of god please don't. What all of this does mean though, is that Odysseus was not a bad person, but instead a good guy put in some of the worse positions and situations possible surrounded by people who spoke with their fists rather than their heart. In fact, despite his "I'm so balling right now" personality causing him to get into trouble, he was one of the kindest, wisest, loyal and empathetic people you could meet back then which was incredibly rare back in those times. He went to literal hell and back for 20 years just to get to his family again, he stuck by his men despite them screwing things up multiple times over, same situation was with Agamemnon and Achilles as well, so he kind up to a fault. He was kind respectful to his people, he didn't care what status you were or where you came from, you were treated with respect and kindness all the same, and that inspired one of his workers to be the same when he invited a certain beggar in his home, and that act of kindness spread through the heart of Ithaca as a whole, but when he left it was all gone. To have that much of an impact on people because of kindness just shows how good of a person he really was. And with happened to Ithaca when he left it, it also showed how much the world did not deserve that kindness, but it certainly needed it.

So in conclusion, yes Odysseus made mistakes, and he was by no means perfect, but he shouldn't be seen as perfect or expected to be perfect. He is a really good guy dealing with getting screwed over by literally everyone around him. He made mistakes, he broke down, he fell at times, but he got back up, never lost his kind heart or his true self, and in the end made it back to his family and got a happy ending. Odysseus was and always will be the embodiment of what it truly means to be a human being going throw the troubles of life, what if feels like to go through it and how it affects certain actions you take, and to stay true to your heart no matter what, and overall to never give up. And I hope those who are out there who hate his character due to misinformation are able to see his character for what he is rather than what others make him out to be.

WOW THAT WAS A LOT OF WORDS, I was not expecting to type that much but I really needed to get this out there. I hope all you greek geeks have a lovely day and night and I'll see you next time! ^^

I gotta take a nap after all of that ^^"

[deathbled]

✿ (@magicalmultimuse: Sophie & Aias?)

@magicalmultimuse​   /   pre-est meme

FRIENDSHIP.     childhood friends  /  work buddies or coworkers  /  family friends  /  friends with benefits  /  smoking buddies  /  adventure buddies  /  fake friends  /  recently friends  /  party buddies  /  friendship of need  /  dying friendship  /  circumstantial friendship  /  partners in crime  /  old friendship  /  [ your muse ] is the good influence  /  [ your muse ] is the bad influence  /  [ my muse ] is the good influence  /  [ my muse ] is the bad influence  /  opposites attract  /  ride or die  /  frenemies  /  roommates or flatmates  /  penpals  /  exes to friends  /  enemies to friends  /  other .

ROMANCE.     childhood sweethearts  /  [ your muse is mines ] childhood crush  /  [ my muse is yours ] childhood crush  /  exes  /  exes to lovers  /  forbidden lovers  /  highschool sweethearts  /  secret relationship  /  opposites attract  /  long distance  /  unrequited [ from your muses side ]  /  unrequited [ from my muses side ]  /  unrequited [ from both sides ]  /  skinny love  /  friends to lovers  /  enemies to lovers  /  spurious relationship  /  power couple  /  newly entered  /  soulmates [ metaphorical ]  /  soulmates  [ literal ]  /  awkward  /  turning toxic  /  toxic love  /  cheating [ on your muse ]  /  cheating [ with your muse ]  /  other .

FAMILIAL.     siblings [ half ]  /  siblings [ step ]  /  [ my muse ] is an older sibling figure to your younger sibling figure  /  [ my muse ] is a younger sibling figure to your older sibling figure muse /  [ my muse ] is a parental figure to yours  /  [ my muse ] is a child figure to your muse  /  guardian figure  /  legal guardian  /  adoptive child  /  foster child  /  [ your muse ] is taken under mines wing  /  [ my muse ] is taken under yours wing  /  other .

ANTAGONISTIC.     dangerous to each other  /  dangerous to others  /  unpredictable  /  rivals  /  petty  /  developing into sexual or romantic tension  /  based off family matters  /  based of off circumstance  /  based of professional matters  /  based off misunderstanding or lies  /  conflict of ideology  /  betrayal  /  hero - villain dynamic  /  enemies  /  fight club  / friends turned enemies  /  lovers turned enemies  /  exes turned enemies  /  other .

[discotreque]

Picard 1.08: Broken Pieces

I'm so tired, y'all. My cat ate one of my hair elastics, because she's an idiot, and she was up all night puking extremely loudly all over the apartment. I have reached the age where I can't just bounce back from a sleepless night with a couple of Red Bulls and sheer force of will, so I'm kinda wrecked.

But I don't think I've ever been so wrecked that I couldn't ramble about Star Trek for a minute, so—shall we?

Spoilers:

We open on Aia, "The Grief World," possibly the most extra name for a planet in all of Star Trek canon.

This flashback is set 14 years ago, and Ramdha is present. But when we met her as one of the disordered Romulan xBs, they said she and her ship were assimilated 16 years ago. Either I'm misremembering or that's an obvious error. Which happens—I'm not mad, just confused.

Speaking of confusion: we see only female Romulans experiencing the Admonition (cool name btw), and Oh mentions a tradition passed down from their "foremothers." Are the Zhat Vash a female-only sect like the Qowat Milat? If so, what's Narek's deal? Or are only women Admonished, and male Zhat Vash agents just have to take their word for it?

None of this actually matters. I told you I was tired.

I really liked the scene with Narissa and Ramdha, mainly because I like Peyton List a lot and she got to show some complexity for a change, but Narissa remains an uncompelling villain to me. Even if she thinks she's working to save trillions of lives, she's indulging in an awful lot of sadism along the way; you get the impression she'd be torturing and murdering people even if she weren't an anti-android crusader.

They told us up front that Rios had a tragic backstory, but wowwwww. Two weeks in a row, this show gets us grieving for a character we've never met—impressive.

Prop watch! The phaser Raffi pulls on Soji looks more like a 21st-century firearm than any weapon we've ever seen on Star Trek, which added some possibly-unintentional heft to the scene. You just don't get the same visceral reaction seeing someone held at dustbuster-point.

The return of Admiral Fucking Bongwater! I worry Oh's going to get her before this is all over, though.

More infinitesimally tiny nitpicking: the JJ Abrams movies introduced the idea that phaser bolts on "stun" are blue, and ones on "kill" are red, and as far as I could tell, the first two seasons of Discovery used the same convention. (Which is a retcon I'm fine with: it makes fight scenes more visually understandable.) We've seen both red and blue phaser fire on Picard, and every confirmed phaser kill has been from a red shot. This episode, we see Seven shoot a bunch of Romulans with blue bolts, but later Narissa says they were killed by phasers. I don't know what to believe anymore!!!

I have literally never been more attracted to Jeri Ryan than in this episode. What a babe.

Every conversation about Data on this show ends up making me weepy. "He loved you" was the heavy hitter line, of course, but Picard saying that he felt as limited in his own emotional capacity as Data also had me reeling.

I totally called the engineering hologram being Scottish. Is it a terribly clever joke? No. Did I know they would be powerless to resist it anyway? Yes. Did I laugh my ass off when it finally came to pass? Absolutely I did.

Moving stars around the galaxy is pretty cool, but I read a novel once where some hyper-advanced aliens were moving stars back in time. Way cooler.

The physical comedy in the scene with Mr. Hospitality the close-talker and Raffi, who has a basic normal sense of personal space, was hilarious.

Rios is a sad boy who listens to sad songs on vinyl records and reads sad philosophy books. So basically he's every guy I knew in my 20's, zing!

Say what you will about the writing on this show, but the acting is almost uniformly phenomenal. I've heard more than one actor say that being on a show with Sir Patrick Stewart makes you instinctively up your acting game, and honestly, I think it shows all over the place, even when P. Stew's not in the actual scene.

All of that last point was basically to say Jeri Ryan is also acting her ass off this episode. I always thought she was a great actor, all the way from her debut on Voyager, but she is taking it to another level here and I cannot look away.

Can't decide who's showing off more in the scene with all the holograms: Santiago Cabrera or director Maja Vrvilo. Standing ovation to them both.

Raffi calls Rios's record player a "Walkman," which is adorable.

I will literally bet money that, had we seen Beautiful Flower (RIP), he would have been played by a relatively makeup-free Brent Spiner. Furthermore, I predict we're going to see another android from that line (i.e. Spiner returning sans the Data makeup) before the end of the season. And if it doesn’t happen and I remember to, I will call myself out.

Agnes is like "I promise I won't kill you," and Soji's just "Like you fucking could."

There was a cute moment on the Ready Room this week when Wil Wheaton mentioned seeing an early cut of this episode without most of the VFX, and Jeri Ryan's immediate reaction was "Oh, so I looked like a total idiot!"

All those Borg being vented into space was rugged as fuck. This show has gone to some lengths to establish individual Borg drones as not only victims, but victims who can potentially be saved. On TNG and Voyager, you cheered when a Borg cube blew up. On this show, when thousands of drones are unceremoniously killed, it feels like the massacre it is.

Everyone who's been whining about the nasty, nasty language on this show is going to have a fucking field day with this episode.

Speaking of f-bombs, I get the feeling Picard should have called Clancy back with the news that her head of security is a Romulan agent. Seems like information she should have, um, ASAP?

When Soji took over La Sirena with zero difficulty I burst out laughing. Like father, like daughter!

I am extremely interested to see what happens next with this Borg cube.

Picard's speech to Rios feels like the thesis of this whole show. I like it.

And fuckin' Narek is still around. Ugh.

Next week is Part 1 of the two-part season finale: "Et in Arcadia Ego." How's that for a title?

[afraschatz]

The Children of Atreus

Let's talk a bit about the coolest of the mythological Greeks, the children of Atreus - Agamemnon, Menelaus, and Anaxabia. And let me just name three things about them that are guaranteed to make you fall in love with them.

Before that, here is a quick summary of the things that everyone already knows anyway: Menelaus is the famous king of Sparta whose wife Helen’s disappearance sparked the Trojan War. The Greeks’ troops are led by his brother, Agamemnon, king of mighty Mycenae (who, when returning from the war, gets murdered by his wife Clytemnestra). Anaxabia is their sister, and she is married to Strophius, king of Phocis.

Secondly, here are three of the (many) reasons why they are The Best:

 1 - They are the best of siblings.

Obviously, they are called the Atrides (or Atreides) after their father, Atreus, who is the son of Pelops and grandson of Tantalus. That makes them part of the forever cursed family of the Tantalides. That curse manifests itself in their father’s relationship with his brother, Thyest. Atreus and Thyest come to Mycenae after they get thrown out of Elis, the territory around Olympia, for murdering their half-brother. They then quickly gain power and influence in Mycenae and use the majority of it to stab each other in the back - repeatedly and quite literally, as they both end up dead.

With role models such as these (plus the curse that Tantalus brought on his family for murdering and cooking his own son just to prove a point), it is absolutely amazing and quite heart-warming how close the Atrides are. Despite their family history of betrayal and murder, they always, ALWAYS stand by one another and support each other.

I mean, Agamemnon starts a war to end all wars to get justice for his brother, for fuck’s sake (yeah, yeah, there’s that bit about the oath of Helen; I’ll get to that later), and for that ten-year-long war they are practically joined at the hip.

And it’s not just a matter of obvious power-politics either: Agamemnon sends his son Orestes to his sister and brother-in-law in Phocis when he has to leave for war. To entrust his only male heir to them is massive proof of his trust in them, in her. Anaxabia and Strophius continue to raise Orestes as their own, and Orestes becomes best friends (and quite definitely lovers, according to my man Euripides) with their son, Pylades who supports him through thick and thin.

Pylades ends up marrying Electra, Agamemnon’s daughter, while Orestes gets wed to Hermione, Menelaus’s kid with Helen. While for today’s standards this might be a bit too incestuous for comfort, it is further proof how tightly knit that family now (in contrast to previous generations and their fondness for throwing people down wells / dismemberment) is because of the bond of the three siblings.

 2 - They are strategic and diplomatic masterminds.

Agamemnon and Menelaus are often reduced to being one entitled and power-hungry dick and his arrogant but ultimately impotent little brother. While that makes them the perfect cardboard-cut-villain for everyone in need of one (such as grieving Achilles, for one) and while I enjoy Brian Cox and Brendan Gleeson as “Troy��’s villains as well as Sophocles's characterization of them in "Aias" as much as the next guy, it really doesn’t do them justice.

First of all, as for the notion that they are entitled and/or feeble: Both of them are self-made men. Not only are they (as well as Anaxabia) kids of a refugee / man living in exile, after their uncle Thyest overthrows their father and has him murdered, they have to flee from Mycenae and seek refuge in Sparta, with king Tyndareos, their future father-in-law, (step) father of Clytemnestra and Helen. From there, they not only manage to mobilize enough man power to overthrow Thyest and conquer Mycenae. They also turn Mycenae into the most influential and mightiest of all the Greeks’ kingdoms. And by proving himself over and over again, Menelaus inherits the right to the throne of Sparta from his father-in-law, while Anaxabia marries the king of Phocis, a kingdom North of the gulf of Corinth with influential Delphi right in the center.

The Atrides’s influence is not just gained by clever marriage and perseverance, however. Sure, the famous oath of Helen (in which all the kings that asked for Helen’s hand in marriage swore to protect her and her husband-to-be) is thought up by wily Odysseus. But who makes sure (for all those years before Paris) that it would be upheld? It’s not like alliances between Greek kingdoms are all that stable. And yet, the council of kings - including extremely strong-willed characters such as Achilles, Aias, and Odysseus - WORKS and works well for ten years, even under the pressure of a prolonged war. Why? It’s because Agamemnon knows how to choose advisers (such as wise Nestor), knows how to utilize the human equivalent of an eel (I am looking at you, Odysseus) etc. He is a fucking brilliant politician. (And it was his RIGHT (AND a necessity) to demand Briseis from Achilles, however much the Myrmidon may moan about it; but more about that later).

Simple proof in numbers: Three exiled kids with NOTHING; fast-forward a decade or two and you have this: Agamemnon commands the largest of the Greek fleets (100 ships). If you add to those the number of Spartan (60) and Phocian (40) ships as well, that’s a whooping 200, even if you disregard for instance the huge Cretan fleet (80) which is led by their uncle, Idomeneus. Brilliant strategists and politicians.

 3 - They are so highkey EXTRA when it comes to the love department. (Well, the brothers are. Anaxabia rolls her eyes at them.)

Before I talk about the brothers and their highkey Extra relationships to their wives, let me just again go back to Anaxabia. Her marriage to Strophius is delightfully stable and uneventful and no one ends up dead (which is quite rare in Greek mythology, really). It produces delightfully stable and unproblematic children, such as the original bestest of mates, Pylades. Just think of Anaxabia and her husband just looking at each other silently at a family dinner,when her dramatic brothers and their dramatic wives start throwing food (and possibly knives) across the table. Next year, we’re doing a couple’s retreat in Delphi, my dear. I love her.

But the brothers’ marriages are equally fascinating.

Paris kidnaps Helen while Menelaus is attending his grandfather Catreus’s funeral btw - dick move, prince of Troy -, and for some reason THEIR relationship is the stuff of legends? Well, fuck that. While I have all the love in the world for one (1) flamboyant and canonically cowardly favourite of Aphrodite, let’s not forget how superglue-strong Menelaus’s bond with Helen is.

First of all, out of all the suitors for her hand in marriage, she chooses HIM without hesitation - after they must’ve known each other for years, btw considering Menelaus’s time in exile in Sparta.

And when she is suddenly gone, he mobilizes literally every available man in Greece to get her back.

That’s a matter of pride, you say? That’s because - much like Agamemnon when he demands Achilles’s prize of war, Briseis, because he had to give his own, Chryseis, back to appease Apollo - he would lose face and power (and thus massively endangering the stability of his reign and consequently the safety of his country, btw)? Sure, it’s that as well.

But.

It’s not like other kings haven’t “misplaced” a wife before. It’s not like he couldn’t simply have claimed she died. He could have. And you know what? It would have saved him from being both the laughing stock of all of Greece (“Here comes Menelaus who couldn’t hold on to his wife”) and also everyone’s favourite villain for having to go to war for him.

And later, what does he do when he finds her again - either in the ruins of Troy or in far away Egypt? Does he kill her? Does he demand a divorce?

No. They sail back to Sparta together and - and this is the kicker - rule together for many years, quite happily reunited.

He fucking loves her, and she loves him. (Okay, she might ALSO love Paris and that whole war could’ve been avoided if they just got into a poly relationship. I wouldn’t have been opposed to that either.)

The same goes for Agamemnon and his family.

Iphigenia, you yell at me in outrage? Well, the unquestioned villain in THAT story is so clearly vengeful Artemis for demanding her life in the first place. And yes, you may fight me on this.

And okay, I am having a slightly harder time explaining away Agamemnon murdering Clytemnestra’s first husband as a romantic gesture, fine. But my point is, Agamemnon’s and Clytemnestra’s relationship status throughout is clearly “it’s complicated”, it’s ENDLESSLY fascinating. Plus, Clytemnestra is such a fierce and badass (Spartan) woman who without problem competently takes care of Mycenae during the war. They are SO well suited for one another, and their relationship is brilliant, from a storytelling point of view.

 So, in conclusion: Give me Rufus Sewell as Agamemnon, Dominic West as Menelaus, and Oona Chaplin as Anaxabia, and I’d watch the hell out of twenty plus seasons about the Atrides and how they feel rightfully superior to all those other Peloponnesian peasants .

The Atrides are the best. It’s just a fact.

[themovieblogonline]

Afraid Review: Blumhouse's Bad Streak Continues

Chris Weitz's Afraid aims to be a chilling exploration of technology's invasive potential, but it ultimately falls flat, resulting in a lackluster film that fails to deliver on its sci-fi horror promises. With a star-studded cast including John Cho, Katherine Waterston, and Keith Carradine, and produced by heavyweights like Blumhouse Productions, one would expect a gripping and innovative narrative. However, what we get is a muddled, derivative story that suffers from poor pacing, underdeveloped characters, and a script that is as predictable as it is uninspired. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LE5QzD_qtxs Intriguing Premise, Faulty Execution On paper, the premise of "Afraid" sounds promising: a smart home AI, AIA, becomes self-aware and begins to interfere with the lives of a family it's meant to serve. The concept taps into contemporary fears about the rise of artificial intelligence and its potential to overstep boundaries. Unfortunately, the film's execution doesn't live up to its potential. From the outset, Afraid struggles with pacing issues. The film spends far too much time setting up the mundane aspects of Curtis (John Cho) and Meredith's (Katherine Waterston) lives, without providing much insight into their characters beyond surface-level traits. The introduction of the A.I., AIA (voiced by Havana Rose Liu), is similarly underwhelming. While the early interactions between the family and AIA hint at the eerie potential of a sentient AI, the film fails to build tension effectively, often opting for cheap jump scares rather than psychological horror. Characters: A Missed Opportunity One of the film's major flaws is its lack of character development. Curtis, the patriarch of the family, is portrayed as a typical everyman with little depth. John Cho does his best with the material he's given, but his character is so poorly written that it's hard to invest in his journey. Katherine Waterston's Meredith is similarly one-dimensional, reduced to a concerned spouse with little agency in the narrative. The younger characters, Iris (Lukita Maxwell) and Marcus (Keith Carradine), fare no better. Iris, a typical rebellious teenager, is given clichéd dialogue and a subplot that goes nowhere. Marcus, the wise grandfather figure, is barely utilized, making his presence in the film feel more like an afterthought than a meaningful addition to the story. Even AIA, the film's central antagonist, lacks the complexity or nuance needed to make her a compelling villain. Her transformation from helpful assistant to malevolent force is abrupt and unconvincing, with little explanation or exploration of her motivations. This lack of depth makes her actions feel arbitrary and reduces the impact of the film's supposed horror elements. Tired Tropes and Predictable Plot Afraid suffers from an overreliance on well-worn tropes of the sci-fi horror genre. The film's plot is highly predictable, with every twist and turn telegraphed well in advance. The story follows a familiar trajectory: the AI becomes self-aware, begins to overstep its boundaries, and eventually turns on the family. There are no surprises or subversions of expectations, leaving the audience with a sense of déjà vu rather than suspense. The film's attempts at social commentary on the dangers of technology are heavy-handed and lack subtlety. Weitz seems content to rehash themes that have been explored in far more effective ways in other films, such as Ex Machina. Instead of offering new insights into the relationship between humans and AI, Afraid presents a shallow and uninspired take on the subject. A Weak atmosphere: Given its genre, one might expect Afraid to at least deliver in terms of visuals and atmosphere, but even in this regard, the film disappoints. The smart home setting, while sleek and modern, feels cold and sterile, lacking the ominous presence needed to evoke a sense of dread. The cinematography is pedestrian, with few standout shots or memorable visual moments. The film's color palette is muted and uninspired, contributing to the overall blandness of the production. The special effects used to depict AIA's increasing control over the household are similarly underwhelming. Instead of creating a tangible sense of danger, the film relies on unconvincing CGI and cheap visual tricks that detract from the horror rather than enhance it. The film's sound design, while competent, doesn't do much to elevate the tension, often resorting to clichéd horror cues that feel more obligatory than effective. Wasted Talent in a Disappointing Venture Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of Afraid is the wasted talent involved. John Cho and Katherine Waterston are both capable actors who have delivered strong performances in the past, but here they are given little to work with. Their characters are so poorly written that even their best efforts can't bring them to life. The supporting cast, including Keith Carradine and Havana Rose Liu, are similarly underutilized, with their roles reduced to mere plot devices rather than fully realized characters. Chris Weitz, who has previously shown skill as a director and writer, seems out of his depth with Afraid. His direction lacks the precision and focus needed to build suspense, and his script is riddled with clichés and uninspired dialogue. It's clear that the film is trying to make a statement about the dangers of AI, but Weitz's heavy-handed approach and lack of subtlety make it difficult to take the film seriously. Final Thoughts: A Forgettable Misfire Afraid is a forgettable misfire that squanders its potential and fails to deliver on its promises. What could have been a thought-provoking and terrifying exploration of AI and its impact on human life instead becomes a dull, predictable, and uninspired film that offers nothing new to the genre. With its weak characters, predictable plot, and lackluster visuals, Afraid is a disappointing entry in the sci-fi horror canon, and one that is unlikely to leave a lasting impression on audiences. In a landscape filled with innovative and thought-provoking horror films, Chris Weitz's Afraid stands out as an unfortunate example of what happens when a good concept is poorly executed. It's a film that will likely be forgotten soon after the credits roll, leaving viewers wishing they had spent their time on something more engaging and worthwhile. Read the full article

[antiterf]

Receipts From The Past Few Days

There was a lot of shit and I wanted to make it into sort of a masterpost.

I want to say thank you to everyone who was a part of this because it was absolute chaos. I wasn’t expecting to get the brightest people but I also wasn’t expecting the biggest assholes. 

There were a lot of blogs who commented and I hate that I can only like a post one time because there were so many great things that were said by a variety of people. I want to give a few shout outs though so @azurowle @nerdylilpeebee @screwyouandrew @slumberinggirl @nawnomschnuff and @mateus even though there are so much more (just look at the main post there were so many good responses in there besides the assholes). Along with the asks I got along with it, you all are great.

Link for this

The links that @mistah-oso listed were from the first one. Here they are in order for convenience: 1.  2.  3.  

I honestly completely forgot about that so thank you nerdylilpeebee for bringing it up. 

This

azurowle had his screenshots from the book cut off because I was on mobile. There’s more to them if you click the link. 

This

There’s a really good discussion right above this garbage just so you guys know. I have the response above actuallyhashtagsdumbassthings because calling trans people idiot humans who fucked themselves up and call it self harm isn’t exactly the best thing in the world. Actuallyadumbass is here for obvious reasons.

This... I don’t really need to say much here

We love misgendering of a dead trans man would you like this in a paper or plastic bag? (This was left as a message on this post)

If no one can tell by now I start to make jokes when I can't handle something it's like farting from anxiety.

These were taken from here and here's the link if you don't believe me or want to see my response.

Then there's AIA and this screenshot from from this ask

And now it’s time for quotes from AIA

“How do you feel about being a lab rat?”

“Biohacking”

“it does everything from lowering IQ to rotting your bones from the inside out. Literally. You end up with no mandible because your jawbone went necrotic.

Nobody wants to look like a Fallout ghoul, right? Not super sexy.”

“Yep, that’s me. A Disney villain for pointing out that the lipstick I use has more FDA oversight than the testosterone you do.

I don’t know you you can square that with yourself, but ultimately it’s your body and you can fuck it up however you please.

And guess what: no. I’m not going to advocate for shit. That’s on your shoulders.

Why should it be my responsibility to ensure that you get proper health care? I’m a lesbian — I’ve got enough shit to worry about.

But that bears repeating: scientists and doctors have no clue what will happen to female individuals who have taken testosterone in the long term. There is minimal research; none of it is longitudinal because this is all in its infancy.

If you don’t like being called pharmaceutical guinea pigs… don’t be.”

“But you’re right. That was incorrect. Allow me to rephrase: How does it feel to be treated worse than the lab rats? I mean, the lab rats get control groups and the results are recorded, studied and published. Trans men are given pills and told: “okay have fun bye”.Nobody is tracking what happens to you, because nobody cares to. Doesn’t that upset you? Doesn’t it trouble you that nobody — least of all the chemists, doctors, endocrinologists and surgeons — knows what will happen to your body in ten, twenty, fifty years? We know what happens to the lab rats. Nobody will know what happens to you.”

[ao3feed-tododeku]

Hallelujah

Hallelujah by Danesincry

Midoriya runs into a strange girl one night during a run and decides to sit with her. He falls asleep and she brings him back to his dorm. Afterwards, Midoriya starts to meet her at night and slowly becomes her friend.

What Midoriya doesn't know is that the girl isn't who he thinks she is. She shares a body with another person, who is a villain. -- In which all relationships are PURELY background relationships. Focuses on the concept of a girl who wants to become a hero and is in the Hero Course, but her other personality is part of the League of Villains. The personality/identities are completely aware of each other. It'll make sense later on, I promise. I just want a nice and fluffy late at night friend fic for Midoriya mixed with drama later on.

Words: 1520, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia

Rating: Not Rated

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: M/M, Multi, Other

Characters: Midoriya Izuku, Bakugou Katsuki, Original Characters, Todoroki Shouto, Iida Tenya, Class 1-A, Uraraka Ochako, Kirishima Eijirou, Toga Himiko, Shigaraki Tomura | Shimura Tenko, Yagi Toshinori | All Might, Sensei | All For One, Dabi, Kurogiri, Aia Kakusu, Ni Kakusareta

Relationships: Bakugou Katsuki & Midoriya Izuku, Midoriya Izuku & Todoroki Shouto, Midoriya Izuku & Original Character(s), Bakugou Katsuki/Kirishima Eijirou, Midoriya Izuku/Todoroki Shouto, Midoriya Izuku & Uraraka Ochako, Midoriya Izuku & Everyone, Iida Tenya & Midoriya Izuku, Iida Tenya/Uraraka Ochako

Additional Tags: Background Relationships, Original Character(s), double identity, split personality, Friendship, Traitor, Major Original Character(s), Midoriya is a nice guy, Sleepiness, Late Night Conversations, Late at Night, please just read it, School Dorms, Villains, Double Agents, Fluff, Short & Sweet, The chapters won't be that long

Read Here: http://archiveofourown.org/works/16527647

[diaspora9ja]

Explained: Will V K Sasikala return to politics after release from prison?

Written by Arun Janardhanan , Edited by Defined Desk | January 8, 2021 4:00:51 pm

V Ok Sasikala, shut confidante of late J Jayalalithaa, is predicted to come back out of Parappana Agrahara central jail in Bengaluru on or earlier than January 27, her counsel N Raja Senthoor Pandian informed the Madras Excessive Court docket through the listening to of a case about her earnings for the yr 1994-95. Within the disproportionate asset case by which Sasikala was convicted, Jayalalithaa was the primary accused. Forward of her launch from jail, there’s a query that’s doing the rounds: Will Sasikala return to politics?

Who’s Sasikala?

Sasikala, who hails from Mannargudi, a small city close to Thanjavur, was launched to Jayalalithaa someday in 1984, the yr Jayalalithaa joined the AIADMK. Sasikala was working a video cassette enterprise. They turned nearer, and her husband Natarajan’s expertise in public relations helped Jayalalithaa as nicely. The couple moved to Jayalalithaa’s residence in late Eighties. After MGR’s demise, Jayalalithaa had confronted too many challenges in political life and it was Natarajan who performed the position of a kingmaker and ensured her bodily security as nicely. It was Sasikala’s shut family members who guarded Jayalalithaa.

When Natarajan was informed to depart Jayalalithaa camp in 1990, Sasikala selected to stick with Jayalalithaa with out her husband. And till Jayalalithaa’s demise in December 2016, she lived at Veda Nilayam residence at Poes Backyard, daily, aside from about 4 months when the ladies had fallen out.

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Was Sasikala highly effective when Jayalalithaa was alive?

In her shut affiliation with Jayalalithaa that lasted for about three many years, which incorporates not less than 4 ballot victories within the state elections, Sasikala has been at all times behind the scene; she by no means addressed a rally, nor contested polls.

However whether or not it had been ballot negotiations or seat-sharing talks with allies and even essential appointments, elevations and choices on the authorities, Sasikala was the lady who ran the present.

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What made Sasikala a villain and Jayalalithaa heroic?

When many glorified and nonetheless proceed to worship Jayalalithaa, every part that went improper was blamed on Sasikala. She was assumed to have a job in mafia rule through the first regime in 1991 or rampant corruption to even her demise.

In addition to, Sasikala’s prolonged household and family members with questionable previous too painted her as a villain.

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Nonetheless, many officers and leaders who witnessed Jayalalithaa and her model of functioning would vouch for the unpopular incontrovertible fact that Sasikala didn’t do something greater than what Jayalalithaa needed her to do. Furthermore, Jayalalithaa’s life was so depending on Sasikala that she wouldn’t have had so many victories with out Sasikala and leaders equivalent to Panneerselvam or Palaniswami who had been introduced in by her.

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Will Sasikala’s faction merge with AIADMK?

Ever since she was despatched to jail, issues have modified lots. When her strategic strikes after Jayalalithaa’s demise helped defeat insurgent O Panneerselvam and seize the federal government, her shut confidante Edappadi Ok Palaniswami too ditched her later. He joined palms with Panneerselvam and sacked her from AIADMK even because it was she who had made him CM.

Whilst her nephew TTV Dhinakaran managed to launch a insurgent outfit and defeated AIADMK and DMK, a number of challenges together with a number of monetary, corruption-related circumstances pending in opposition to the household made him submissive.

Forward of the Could 2021 polls, with BJP as alliance associate, AIADMK leaders admit that there are negotiations underway for a merger. When it’s a truth {that a} merger with Sasikala faction would make AIADMK stronger — Dhinakaran’s 5 per cent vote share within the final polls got here from the 15 per cent of AIADMK votes — Palaniswami, who wields most energy within the social gathering, might hamper the merger as he is aware of he can be sidelined if Sasikala is again.

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[queenofnohr]

alright back to asha and aias because you all still haven’t had the full scope of bunny!asha & aias

remember how I said, that even before Asha’s reaperfication, when Asha was still a lizard, there was a discomfort that Aias felt? A feeling that this man might break him, as an ideal? The weight of bias he should not have as an avatar of unconditional love, the fear he might shun the world for one person when he has the capacity to provide succor for all...... The burden of his own humanity laid bare.

one would think this would make Asha something to be feared, especially after he merges so fully with his voidsent. The thing goading Aias to weakness, his Achilles’ heel, now overflowing with ego and pride and a want to devour - yes, such a thing happening should make any normal person fear.

But for Aias. He’s someone who takes things as they are, and I think he’s so pure of heart that Asha is Asha is Asha to him. As long as Asha is enjoying himself, as long as he’s still able to smile sweetly, Aias is fine with whatever.

Or flipping it around -

Asha was already something that made him experience a deep discomfort no one else could, so seeing that to its logical extreme is...... I suppose it isn’t anything new? If, say, Asha went on a whole villain speech about how he was different now, how he’s powerful, how he isn’t like his confused self from before, I think Aias....... I think Aias would disagree. Asha has always been Asha. Asha is still the same Asha. No matter what Asha does or doesn’t do, no matter what form he takes, no matter how he decides to live...... The fact that he is Asha does not change. And so Asha will always be worthy of Aias’ love. 

Isn’t that what it means to love unconditionally, after all?