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what reading some modern adaptations of the iliad feels like

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okay now that I've gotten the anger at years-old discourse out of my system I will say that Assad Zaman's ability to traumatize racists is actually very impressive. like I saw somebody call the day of the reveal the worst day of their lives and it's just a brown guy. standing there. his power is unmatched.

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Queen Victoria: We will create the Torchwood Institute to protect the Earth from the Doctor. The 'Fuck the Doctor' Institute, if you will.

Jack, newly joined: I've misunderstood.

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The Torchwood gang are poking around old files for whatever reason and stumble across some photos of Jack in a nazi uniform. This is at the point where they're still pretty in the dark about his background and a little suspicious of him so they're like huh there's no way he was a nazi right?? And then they're like no no there's no way. He must have been on an undercover mission or something.

So they look up what he was doing during the war and find that he actually stopped working for Torchwood, vanished for several years, and then came back like nothing happened, which is NOT how Torchwood usually records undercover missions.

Serious friction in the group as they split into camp 'there's no way Jack was ever a nazi' (Gwen, Ianto), camp 'i think we should be open to the possibility that Jack was a nazi' (Tosh) and camp 'let's just beat him up and have done with it' (Owen)

Eventually they confront Jack with the pictures and he's like yeah I took a sabbatical during WWII to avoid a time paradox. Those photos are from when I was in a gay musical about Hitler in the sixties. And they're like what?? And he's like I was in a GAY MUSICAL about HITLER in the SIXTIES. What's not clicking.

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it's very surreal to see posts about palestine dwindling down after the ceasefire. israel is still blocking aid to and trying to make life difficult for palestinians in gaza. we still have to continue to speak up about gaza.

in this ceasefire, many palestinians are trying to rebuild in attempts to try and return to what they had before the genocide. despite the heavy and unbearable loss of life that gaza has experienced, her people continue to try to make a better world for their children.

alaa is a mother of two young children. she wants to rebuild her house and get a better future for her children. please have heart and consider helping her out. her fundraiser has been verified.

please donate here

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they will find each other in every universe.

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what reading some modern adaptations of the iliad feels like

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never pull a greater ajax. instead be like nestor

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Happy superb owl to all who celebrate

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McGucket is increasingly having anxiety problems, as he was before, and these anxiety problems are actually not problems, they are him being right about what they’re doing.

But he so wants to please Ford. I think McGucket sees his own value as “I’m the guy who builds stuff, and you’re the idea guy, and I’m valuable to you when I’m building stuff. And when I have a problem I can build a solution, and any time there’s an emotional issue, you build your way out.”

So the canon became that McGucket proposed such a thing (the memory gun) early on, and then was told “You shouldn’t do that”, and then like an addict, like an alcoholic who has a little sip and notices it takes the edge off, privately, he can’t bear to say it to Ford. He’s keeping a lot from Ford, he’s keeping just how scared he is of what they’re doing, he’s keeping just how concerned he is. McGucket doesn’t really know what’s going on, but he’s internalizing and thinking, “I just need to be a better partner. If I have anxiety, I’m gonna pop anxiety pills, and I’m gonna get through this.”

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so i submitted an entry to a short manga competition because i figured i want to give it a try but i need a deadline to be able to finish anything, and i got shortlisted?? hello??

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I feel like the need to make Patroclus a demigod stems from a lot of tsoa fans ( & haters ) needing a reason to make Patroclus and Achilles equal and they think making Patroclus a demigod will accomplish that.

But Patroclus and Achilles already are equals. They have strengths where the other has weaknesses. They may not be physically on the same level but that’s kind of the whole point. Achilles was always going to be stronger and a better fighter than everyone else. That was always going to happen. But when we look at the way Patroclus and Achilles interact in the Iliad it is clear that Achilles holds Patroclus to a high regard, continually mentioning how much Patroclus not only means to him but just how much respect Patroclus receives from everyone in general. They’re literally the Greatest of the Greeks and the Best of the Myrmidons because of how good they are. Theres no need to make Patroclus a demigod. It changes too much of his character and kind of mutes what made him so good. He spoke to Achilles as an equal when they argued. He wasn’t as strong as Achilles but he still went out with achilles armor. He wasn’t untouchable and god like but he was kind and genuine. He was an exile, with no birthright, no claim to anything, and yet the entire army mourned hen he died. Patroclus was so very utterly humane in both good and bad ways throughout the war. He was stubborn and bloodthirsty when he fought, riding some high from the war that many other soldiers probably got. He got cocky, and paid for it. But he was also a voice of reason. He didn’t want to see his men dying, not when they did not have to. He was a mortal man through and through, the good and the bad, until the end. I don’t see why you would want to take that away from him to add some meaningless power up.

And on the flip side, Achilles being a demigod is also integral to his story because he’s supposed to represent the divide between human and god. It’s such an important moment when Patroclus is killed because it’s as if Achilles’ mortal side had been killed with him, leaving only rage typically reserved for gods. Achilles during he beginning of the war is untouchable, but he is also respectful. He sacks the cities but he honors the fallen. He takes the war prizes but he calls out Agamemnon for not giving back chryseis even though men ( HIS men too ) are dying. When Achilles refuses the embassy he also essentially rejecting his mortality. He doesn’t WANT to fight in this war in which he will die for a man that dishonored him. And he’s technically not wrong to do so. But when he starts wishing for his comrades to die so that they will beg him to come back, appeasing his lost pride, he has begun to slip over into his divinity, embracing it shamelessly and disregarding the lives of others as long as he gets what he wants. As gods tend to do. And even if he doesn’t get that, he didn’t care about his comrades dying as long as he and his men could sail home. Achilles’ mortality slowly trickles out of him until it is violently lurched out and killed when Patroclus died. Patroclus who so badly wanted to keep their men from dying and needed Achilles to understand that by selfishly holding his pride to higher standard than the lives of others he was dooming them all. Their stories are such integral parts to each other and the main narrative I don’t see how you could change such a detail and still make their dynamic as interesting as it is.

Patroclus and Achilles both were good men. Patroclus and Achilles both were fighters that slaughtered others. Patroclus and Achilles both fall because of mortal flaws. Achilles bridges an impossible gap between man and god and Patroclus prevails when no one else will despite his mortality. That’s what makes them so interesting. That’s why their dynamic works the way that it does. Making Patroclus a demigod adds nothing of substance to his story it only takes away from it.

Anyways. This was not supposed to be that long. Apologies if I made any mistakes regarding the original text and pls correct me if I did!! But yeah anyways that’s my long explanation on why I hate the demigod Patroclus trope. It rly just. Doesn’t work.

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companion

i wonder what little agott's life was like before she came to qifrey's atelier... even without the thing that got her kicked out of her house, it seemed pretty miserable.

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I. don't really have any justification for this I just feel like I should post it here

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"what version of the odyssey should i read" "what translation of the odyssey do you recommend" THIS.

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Chapter 85 is now out, Shirahama posted the coloured version of the incredible chapter cover for this one.

Now if you'll excuse me I need to go and stare at a wall after that chapter.

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read thru diomedes' wiki page today and these two are so funny to me