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gareleia · 1 month

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THE KNITTING SAGA BUT MAKE IT SAD

part 1 part 2

lets talk about relationships, shall we. i'm gonna focus on Athena & Telemachus this time, but Hermes will have his turn later

let's be real, Athena is a hardass. sure, she cares, but she's so emotionally constipated that it really doesn't show that much. especially before she goes through that character development arc after her break with Odysseus in My Goodbye

(and what a crisis that is)

(because her masterpiece??? failed her??? but she trusted him??? she made him as in her image as possible??? he was supposed to be perfect???)

(and if he's not perfect, then she failed,,, and she can't fail, she doesn't fail,,, she's a goddess,,, war strategy is her domain, surely there is no way her plan could be flawed,,,)

(what even is the point of her if she's not perfect)

so yeah, she's a hardass. even on baby Telemachus who'd never held a sword before - especially on baby Telemachus, because he's the son of her favored Champion. he may be waaay younger than any of her previous pupils, but she's expecting him to shine just as bright.

Athena, on the first day: let's get down to business! make your father proud! you won't have a weakness! by the time we're done! you're the saddest pupil that I've had! and you haven't got a clue! but I will make a man outta you! Telemachus, a literal toddler, holding a wooden sword as big as himself: ٩(๑❛ᴗ❛๑)۶

and for years to come she trains him relentlessly. she's honestly trying to be nice about it, too. it's just that Athena doesn't do soft or gentle, her default is a neutral face of displeasure, and her idea of encouragement is saying you're not as bad as you used to be, or something along these lines.

Telemachus: *succeeds at something* Athena: *raises an eyebrow in a slightly different manner than usually* Telemachus: *le gasp* could it b-be? am I doing a good job??? Athena: it's… acceptable for your age.

she never once tells him she is proud of him. because surely he already knows. he doesn't need to hear it. his father didn't, after all (odysseus so fucking did)

and this goes on until Telemachus reaches double digits. then My Goodbye happens, and Athena has Feelings™. she's having an existential crisis, and has to confront the fact that she had done something wrong while training Odysseus, and she can't understand what. which is terrifying, because what if she makes a mistake like that with Telemachus. will he fail her too?

will she have to leave him too, so she doesn't watch him die horribly in a tragedy that could've been prevented if only she had made him see-

so Athena doubles down and starts demanding more and more from Telemachus. the praise goes from sparse to non-existent, and nothing he does seems to be enough anymore. she goes from tough love to borderline verbal abuse, thinking that it's the only way to keep him safe and prepare him for the future.

and Telemachus endures. he has to, because he doesn't want his mother to worry. doesn't want to appear weak. Odysseus had done it, so it's only fair his son should too. and when his dad comes home, he'll be sooo impressed. he can do it!

except…. not really. it's been a losing battle since the beginning, and deep down he knows it. he cant win with Athena, not on his own.

???: if you want to impress her, you'll need the blessing of a certain god! divine intervention! someone who's not afraid to- telemachus: aeolus, what are doing in my closet?!

so anyway, Aeolus and winions start helping him via winds and stuff, and Telemachus actually starts exceeding everyone's expectations. it's not that he'd been bad before, but he's soft, and not quite strong enough physically to make up for his gentle constitution

everyone is cheering him on. he's the talk of the palace! his mom is so proud! the suitors start sizing him up with consideration instead of dismissing him outright! (and tele, baby, that's not a good thing! ಠ_ಠ). Athena seems pleased for the first time in ages!! but he knows that it's all a lie, and it's killing him.

cause he's a good, honest boye, and he wants to succeed on his own merit, not because of cheating and lying to everyone he loves. that's vile and dishonorable.

que some very important island-wide competition that everyone is expecting him to join and win. maybe it's even his duty as a prince. like, a right of passage from complete boyhood to adolescence.

and there's,,, a lot of pressure on Telemachus to suceed. everyone and their mother are telling him that of course he's got this, he's a prodigy! def his father's son! nobody doubts his incoming victory! he's got this! he definitely won't disappoint them!

random noble: we'll be cheering you on, young prince! truly, we are blessed by the gods to have such a talented successor to the throne! we'll watch with keen eyes as you triumph over your foes and bring even more honor to your family! b(￣▽￣*) telemachus, eye twitching: y-yeah… thank you… (ㆆ _ ㆆ)

so, the night before the competition Telemachus can barely sleep, he's so wrecked by guilt and nerves. he keeps thinking - what would his father do in this situation? all the stories he'd ever heard of Odysseus always painted him as some kind of invincible, righteous, all-capable genius. so the idea of his dad ever grappling with guilt and feelings of inadequacy is just laughable. (oh, if only he knew)

so, he goes to his mom for advice. because Penelope is awesome. but he can't bring himself to admit that's he's cheating - what if she's ashamed of him? he brought dishonor to his father's name, and if anyone knows - will he get exiled?

so yeah, he basically has a panic attack and cries for like, half an hour straight.

telemachus, bawling: if I lose tomorrow, will you hate me? will dad hate me? I can't do anything right and I'm a failure and a horrible person and- just- what do I do, mother? penelope, holding him: oh, love. sometimes you're so similar to your father I wonder if the gods haven't returned him to me in spirit through you.

because no matter what everyone else says, Penelope knows the truth - Odysseus always followed his heart. oh, how he may have tried to forget he had one, to only ever use his head. but a heart he did have - does have, they have to believe that - and it's a bright and a gentle one. he may have been hardened by years of pain and struggle in a way that Telemachus hadn't yet (and Penelope's heart breaks from knowledge that her son will be, one day). but deep down, at ther cores, Odysseus and Telemachus are strikingly similar. and she loves them all the more for it.

and so, with his mother's blessing, the young prince does just as she told him to: follows his heart. he thanks Aeolus for their help, and asks them to stop giving it from now on. either he'll suceed on his own merit, or he'll wear his failure as a badge of honor and an incentive to do better.

and he loses. badly.

and the world,,, doesn't end? sure, the suitors sneer and jeer, but there's a surprising lack of disowning and exile going around. and the nobles tone it down significantly with undeserved adoration, which is definitely a plus, as far as he's concerned.

the only thing is. Athena.

oh boy.

because she's not stupid. Telemachus may have gotten away with cheating so far, but now he'll have to answer to her why he had flunked so badly, and she won't buy his go-to excuse of 'I got nervous!'

athena, expression unreadable: so. care to explain yourself, my stupid pupil? telemachus: w-well, you see… ha-ha… it's, uh… a funny story… athena: you threw away your best advantage! you've had a god perfectly willing to assist you and yet you still somehow managed to lose! telemachus: wait, what-

so yeah, Athena knew all along.

athena, mildly insulted: how stupid do you think I am, boy? telemachus: but! but! but!.. you never said anything! didn't even scold me for cheating! athena, even more insulted: child, I am the goddess of war strategy, where did you get the idea that I ever play fair abd straightforward? leave that to ares, the simple-minded fool!

to clarify, she's not upset at him for cheating. she's upset that he stopped doing so. so she throws some choice words at him, implying he lacks both talent and intelligence

and Telemachus defends himself by saying that he'd rather fail on his own merit, than abandon his principles and win by lying and dishonoring his family. in response, she calls him naive.

he tries to implore to her connection to his father by saying that he was just trying to do what's right. he was following his heart, just as Odysseus had always strived to. and he's training to fight for his loved ones, not for glory of being known.

it's a one hit K.O., because it reminds Athena of her recent break-up with Odysseus. of everything they spat at each other during My Goodbye. of anger, if hurt, of disappointment, of betrayal, of I loved you and you failed me, of I loved you and I failed you, of good riddance! and y̶͈̔o̴̘̖͆u̶̻̱͆͒'̸̫̩̌̉r̷̼͝e̴̩̒ ̴͎̻̈́̎ȧ̸̦l̵̗͙͌̐o̸͚͕̚n̷̟̯͠e̵̳̩͠

and is their whole line just cursed? is it their way of punishing her for something? why do they both hurt her so? is it her fault?

telemachus: athena? are… are you okay? (‘-’*) athena, coming off MG flashbacks: well, obviously, boy, why would you even ask that (ಥ﹏ಥ)

Telemachus just hugs her, because she obviously needs it. and she melts into it like never before.

because she wasn't made for empathy or kindness. she's born to be ruthless and cold. she's not supposed to love and be loved care about anything but winning. it doesn't come natural to Athena, until recently she had truly thought herself unable to, and yet-

yet here, right in front of her, is a boy who loves for the both of them. loves the whole world - sincerely, selflessly. a truly kind and caring soul (the noble even joke that is true father is Polites).

she can't love.

but maybe… maybe he will teach her.

maybe he already did.

or maybe she always could.

she forgets sometimes, that her fingers know not only the roughness of swords and spears, but also the gentle softness of weaved silk. creation goes hand in hand with destruction, and she can bind countless threads together without breaking them.

and what are humans, if not strings, waiting to be cut by the fates?

also, if Telemachus can teach the goddess of cold cynicism and detached cruelty kindness of all things, then she can teach him swordplay.

yes, it's a threat.

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inthedeepeclipse · 2 months

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On Ibara, Hiyori and the Buisness world of Enstars

Smth smth hiyoiba is a push and pull relationship of who will drop their guard down first. Hiyori is usually first to do so, because of the way Ibara grew up he won’t drop it unless its a completely private space.

I would say that Ibara knows that Hiyori puts up an act. I’m pretty sure its canon that Hiyori was communicating with Eden during Getto Spectacle, and especially towards Eden and upper management. They’re aware of it, but its hard to be vulnerable with these two.

They trust each other. They’re aware of the power they do hold. (Though I’m not sure if the child soldier thing was told to Hiyori in canon) At least in the business world, I’m guessing. Hiyori still has connections, and Ibara has the power to turn his creative ideas into reality.

I really do want an exploration of the buisness side of Enstars. We do have canon corporations, but technically its a competitive monopoly. Eden climax has already brought us a set up, and bringing us to an understanding of how being an idolized person in a competitive market makes you lose yourself and greed talking to make those actions take place.

Their first interactions are about Hiyori’s judge of character and the inner workings of CosPro. (Saga Release 6) Because that is what they know about each other at that moment.

ES is operated mostly by Tenshouin related companies, making their name more widespread. Hiyori comments about this in his Idol Story 2. This is making (his family’s) the Tomoe Foundation’s name lessen. HappyEle, please tell me where the Tomoe’s put their money in. Because its definitely not the entertainment industry.

Anyway, by Hiyori’s actions I suspect that the rest of the Tomoe’s are overworkers~! ⭐️ So while his parent’s respect his decision of going to the entertainment industry, they probably dont understand why he got there in the first place~! ⭐️ That’s why Hiyori is so against Ibara working so much~! ⭐️

#eden enstars #ensemble stars #enstars #hiyori tomoe #ibara saegusa #eden climax #ive been here for like a month and i analyzed this like mad #i havent read everything so its not entirely accurate #i would say rouge ruby is an exploration of that in the background #rouge ruby itself is jun and ibara having vastly different understanding of valentines day (mind vs heart)#anyways #ibara and hiyori hold the most knowledge of how ppl will act in buisness #i need an event around those two #because theyre both overthinkers and you cant change my mind about that #and theyre trying to discuss the next plans for eden that wont go awry #and also follows the orders of CosPro #i dont know how i wrote an essay but thats How I Am I Guess

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canonkiller · 4 months

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I think it is really cool, inspirational even, that you can cite "Bite Down" as a specific phrase and your follows can have a strong understanding of what that infers.

oh yeah the love for that piece has been absolutely WILD but also rest assured I'll quote myself all the time. sometimes it's shit I've never said to other people at all. I'm my own leitmotif. my own best fan. I'll drop a quote so undetectable that nobody knows what the fuck I'm talking about and I will do it with enthusiasm and gusto

#i love to make a joke multiple times in a row in different chats. i love to repeat an impactful line in a story. its enriching #if something fucks im gonna get my moneys worth baby!!!!#also the quote comes from a discussion about getting my own personal shit together. its a repetition that matters to me because of that #if other people feel it then soludarity but if they dont WELL not everything is a communicatable idea #sometimes i am just out here saying shit that only matters to me and thats just beautiful isnt it #ask #fractalsliver #not art

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airborneice · 1 year

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saw this post and felt inspired

#was this a reasonable amount of time to spend on drawing a crystal. discuss #hilda the series #hilda netflix #kaisanna #sketchbook ship #also if u saw me fuck up the posting of this the 1st time no you didnt #art tag #mattie #hilda oc #can we just appreciate kaisa's tiny ponytail #thats it thats my attempt at making her look different a few years on from canon #in my defense i think its cute hdfjksdgfkhd #hilda ocs tag

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couriernewvegas · 1 month

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like i understand entirely where ur coming from bc being a masc or a trans guy or not noticeably “queer” can be isolating in some spaces but i honestly also think women can and should be blunt about disliking men or aspects of the patriarchy without guys (cis or trans) coming in to be like hey ladies remember why ur evil for venting ur frustrations or just not wanting to constantly monitor ur language for us . idk

#obv masculinity v. femininity is a whole different beast with the way its constructed/reinforced but thats for another discussion

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pontsalin · 1 year

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PLEASE TALK ABOUT YOUR MAGIC HCS FOR EMPIRES I AM LOOKING AT YOU WITH BIG OLD EYES RN I GOTTA KNOW THE LORE 👀👀👀

Buckle up! All start with the difference between a wizard and a witch from season 1.

Wizards:

To become a wizard, one must study rigorously for many years in a school. The rules are numerous and strict. There are many types of magic that are forbidden on the behalf of the wizard council, but to be a wizard is to be respected by many.

The wand is given once a wizard is deemed good enough to own one, and the pointy hat is given at a certain level of study.

They study magic and science not to understand the world better, but to harvest it more efficiently.

This tenacity is what led the newly founded empire of the Grimland to turn down magic and focus on technology to harvest nature (following the headcanon that fWhip was raised to be a wizard as well, failed the exams, and went to the Grimlands, quickly climbing the ranks to become the Count)

Witches:

Witches need no school; Magic and rituals are taught by families and elders and stay secretive from other empires.

Anyone could be a witch, just knowing basic spell or sigil making, and you could call yourself a witch. They follow the order of the moon and tides, making rituals and spells according to nature. What they take from nature, they must give back.

They’re very family based, and rituals are often do in groups, if not involving the whole village. The only rule is to not use magic to cause harm.

Witches are usually more about protection spells, wards and talismans, but the few witches that used their power for evil has stained their reputation to be all wicked.

After the incident of the cods and salmons, witches of the swamp took the blame for the mass destruction that led to their near extinction.

Fear grew, and the few witches remaining decided to create a council and an academy, making rules to avoid making the same mistakes again. Over the years, the number of magic users has decreased, and fear of magic has risen. Witches are still blamed and feared after all these years, and any witches breaking the now strict rules will be banished.

#in short: the end of the world is blamed on witches and thats why they have now academies <3 #im making the wizards a bit more... capitalistic #lets say that #i had this whole discussion between gem and jimmy in my head at one point #they both have very different views of magic and its usage #gem is very wary of witches as she was taught they were bad #if only there wasnt the end of the world and i could have explored that more grrrrr #but yeah! i managed to tie up my hcs for s1 to s2 #it should still work with shubble's lore #really hope i can do a few comics of s1 jimmy in s2..#answered #anon #sol mumbles #sol thinks #empires smp #solart

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piosplayhouse · 10 months

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(This isn't bait, and you don't need to answer it if you don't want to). What's your beef with heartstopper?

The author and I have the same favorite mangaka but they tried to claim her as a "one of the good ones defying all problematic elements (of the gross bl genre of course)" without knowing that . One of the only other scanlated works from same mangaka is a psychological horror incest BL with every trigger warning under the sun

Also I hate white British people but that's on me #listening and learning

#a lot of people got on her ass about sharing an illegal scanlation sc as well but honestly like ehh i have a little more lenience ig #since the authors work IS obscure and there isnt an english translation and i dont expect someone who allegedly is not a frequent reader #to know all the nuances of scanlation etiquette or whatever. but its also because the author is obscure that im laughing at this point #because she only has like . 4 what i would call main works and one of them is definitely problematic as hell #and another one features some consent issues and they bang as teens which is fairly industry standard but #honestly i dont really care either way like im very neutral and the books probably cute i spose its just the constant trend you see over and #over again with these white queer authors where they have to talk about how their work is so much different from the obviously inferior #asian queer art like we werent doing it centuries before you guys and have such a strong queer history thats so often disregarded in favor #of starting the discussion in the us . or something whatever its midnight and i havent finished my work prep

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snixx · 5 months

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can i say something that might get me cancelled if i said it irl. why are we (indians but more specifically the indian governement) so obsessed with border and military disputes our country is literally twice the size of the entire continent of europe and/or the cumulative size of oceania and the americas put together population wise. as far as i know most of the people from these territories aren't really begging to be a part of india either why do we need such a massive fucking military budget over this shit "they can't stay independent pakistan or china will pounce if they don't belong to us anymore" don't you think that's THEIR choice and prerogative. they aren't asking to be a part of india. "if pakistan gets kashmir they will keep taking and taking and india will be in ruins" you sound like a conspiracy theorist. kashmir has never unanimously wanted to be a part of india. don't we have enough problems to worry about people are literally starving and homeless everywhere in our country. decentralisation isn't the worst thing that could happen to a territory right now we're too big and diverse a country is an indian identity we're forcing on them really the most important thing right now

#making this non rebloggable because im a engineering student (derogatory)#and ive read a LOT on this subject but i acknowledge im not the most qualified to talk about it #and im not confident enough in my opinions for people to spread them around lol #but yeah thats my two cents. if anyone has different opinions or nuance or reasoning please lmk im open to discussion #its obviously not black or white and id really appreiciate explanations from people who arent condescending fascists #india #indian politics #but on a fundamental level as far as my understanding goes i do not. get why #like literally 15% of our budget goes to what is fundamentally destructive military shit #seems like a waste to me when people dont have basic human rights idk #i could be wrong try change my mind im open to it #but yeah this is my blog and i share my thoughts here and im never gonna learn unless i ask the questions i think sound dumb #not that i think this is that dumb. its a perfectly valid question imo why are we so obsessed with the fucking military

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