laurentspeach - Tumblr blog

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ancel and erasmus!!!! <3

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the beautiful lady jokaste🤍🤍🤍

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So you don't think there's a certain romantization of slavery at all? Like when Damen said to laurent 'I am your slave' was that not romantic? Or talking about the first night?

well yes, there is a romantization of the concept of elements of slavery between them as a couple on a personal level, nothing to do with the political aspect. it embodies the captive prince theme of duality; slavery can be both hot and romantic, while being something negative as a system in a society. both damen and laurent know damen is not a slave (as in, he wasn't groomed to be one) but a prince and will be a king very soon. so that's part fantasy of them, not a practical reality. they wouldn't marry if damen was still laurent's slave like by title/hadn't been freed or would be explicitly very soon/had been groomed as a slave like erasmus/wasn't a literal monarch.

they fell in love through slavery so its natural they'd be attached to that concept. doesn't mean damen's intentions of abolishing slavery as a sociopolitical and economic system are any less present in the text??? like at all????? both the theme and the kink are things can be and are true at the same time. it's called nuance in fact.

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THANK YOU

some ppl are rlly out there claiming to be damen fans while completely misunderstanding and minimizing every aspect of his character except for how much he suffers lmfao.

if you think slavery wasn't a core flaw in akielon culture and damen wasn't on some level morally reprehensible for being a perpetrator in that system then i'm sorry but you do not like damen as much as you think you do. if you think the akielon slavery system is somehow justifiable in-universe because in the originally slavekink type of worldbuilding the slaves wanted to be in that position bc they were naturally submissive then you missed the entire point of damen's character arc.

the issue isn't that i can't see slavery through the lens of kink exploration, i'm very good at suspension of disbelief. but pacat said it himself, the consensual kink part of the story and worldbuilding got away from him because damen refused to comply with that narrative. so at that point a theme of "slavery bad" starts making its way into the story through damen. the slave kink excuse is no longer valid because damen himself starts questioning it, within the story. the narrative (DAMEN!!!!!) sets this moral standard, not the reader.

now. i'm not claiming damen deserved any of the horrible treatment he got from laurent, bc he did not. i'm speaking in terms of strictly what happened in the story. in the story, damen is a former slave owner, realizing slaves are in a very vulnerable position because he himself is put in a very vulnerable position with the worst master and owner imaginable is a core part of his story, his narrative, and the most telling thing about his personality and beliefs.

damen took those negative experiences, that pain and anger he felt at being captive, brutalized, humiliated, and robbed of his free will, and he was able to transfer those onto other people, his subjects, people he himself might've hurt by taking away their own free will. he was able to grow from his trauma through self-reflection and to see reality beyond a life of normalization of systematic violence from which he benefited, resolving to make a significant change as soon as he got the power to do so. that level of empathy and integrity is incredibly admirable of him.

and so you can't have your cake an eat it too. if you claim to love and enjoy this part of his character, you cannot in good faith claim the evil (in a thematic sense) he was fighting against and managed to defeat was not that even that evil anyway. you are saying his judgement is clouded by personal trauma, that he is biased and even overdramatic, and seeing a problem where there isn't any. this is in fact, disrespectful to damen's character. believe it or not.

[laurentspeach]

I saw this one comment when I was searching for captive prince tag. People are allowed to dislike whatever they want but I want to clear some misinformation for potentially new readers

The post says captive prince story is " an enslaved poc who gets r*ped and emasculated multiple times by multiple characters"

this entire sentence is not true

First of all the MC is not poc. He is based off of greec people. You can call him tanned or olive skinned but not poc. (I am an Iranian woman by the way don't talk to me about people of color)

The "multiple" rape by "multiple characters " is not true. The main character noncon happens exactly once in the entire triology with one background character giving non consensual blow job to the main character. Ignoring all the story elements from the politics to the plots twists and focusing on "one scene" and Calling it a "rape fantasy" is bizarre, specially with context

Most importantly the main character who is enslaved used to be a privileged prince with many sex slaves himself. He grows as a character by learning slavery is bad lol, that's the entire point

Again people are allowed to hate or dislike whatever they like and no one is trying to force anyone to like captive prince or read it but i would appreciate it if y'all don't spread misinformation and not call us "rape fantasy" enjoyers seriously

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these were a hit on twitter so figure i’d share on tumblr dot com. context = everyone was making fun of a book that was marketed with this same format. enjoy the capri versions

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auguste and smaurent❤️❤️❤️

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Damen, showing Nik a picture of his crush (Laurent): thoughts?

Nik: and prayers.

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capri lore i literally just made up

-mainland of akielos invaded isthima a few hundred years pre canon, there’s still a lot of tension between them. akielos considered isthima “underdeveloped” and thought they needed to adapt mainland culture

-veretian women more oppressed than akielon women, a lot of veretian women moved to akielos post alliance

-patran culture similar to byzantine culture

-slave labour used to be legal in akielos but was outlawed like 100 years before sexual slavery was. their slave labour system was also the “debt labour” thing in ancient cultures where if you were in debt to someone you’d be their slave/servant for a specific amount of time before your debt was cleared

-same sex coupling is common in both countries, but it’s rare to marry. coupling between two women less common + accepted in akielos until veretian women moved there

-vere worships one god while akielos worships multiple (though mootie suggested they have the same gods under different names which i also like)

-vere in general is more religious than akielos

-akielos is richer in precious gems and spices, vere richer in salt and silver, patras richer in gold

-southern akielons have a very warm and slow accent, like a southern american drawl

-southern akielons also prize hospitality more than anywhere else

-vask’s less physically capable women are usually concubines, there are some male ones but not as many bc they don’t want to risk pregnancy from an unfit male

-akielon noblewomen wear veils a lot of the time—not the ones that cover their face, but over their hair, and it’s usually sheer. used to deflect the suns light from making the top of their dark hair burning hot lol

-akielon women tend to be curvier than veretian women, but not necessarily taller

-a lot of isthimans have brightly coloured eyes, but their complexion is darker than most mainlanders (mostly bc they’re out in the sun more)

-paler skin isn’t more prized in akielos, damen is just weird. pale skin is associated with vere, so is generally looked down upon by most akielons

-akielos’s main meat consumption is seafood and lamb, vere has more beef and chicken

-only rich women can play sports in vere, and only particular ones, all women can play all sports in akielos

-female soldiers in akielos don’t have their own tents, men are just expected to behave, which they do most of the time

-there are what would be considered “clubs” today in akielos, where there’s dancers on a raised stage. mostly women, but some men

-akielons are generally better dancers than veretians

-akielons don’t generally like spicy food, but it’s more common than in vere. patrans like their spicy food though, so the spice trade is big between patras and akielos

-in aleron’s court, female pets would perform as well, since there were noblewomen in power back before the regent cast them all out

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quick femme lamen sketch!

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the akielons!❤️🦁

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thinking about how much i hated laurent when i read book one for the first time…im so sorry pookie…

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LAURENT HOLE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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baby damen is a chonky boi

damini and little kastor❤️💔

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damen love fest 2023 / day 5: relationships

rare pairs: damen & lykaios

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new rendoeslesbians just dropped !

NEW FEMME LAMEN🗣️‼️

[laurentspeach]

The Parallel Betrayals of Damen and Erasmus

This short essay explores Erasmus and Damen's parallel paths into slavery.

Initial Attraction

From the start, both Erasmus and Damen are captivated by the physical beauty of their respective betrayers, Kallias and Jokaste. This initial emphasis on appearances sets the stage for their subsequent betrayals, highlighting how they were initially drawn in by their allure, only to be deceived by those they held in high regard.

Sudden Disorientation and Self-Recrimination

Their sudden and unexpected enslavement leaves Erasmus and Damen feeling disoriented. Erasmus turns to Kallias for guidance but quickly recalls Kallias's betrayal, making him feel foolish for wanting to ask Kallias what was happening. Similarly, Damen, usually a clear thinker, struggles to make sense of his bewildering new reality. He, too, blames himself for not seeing the betrayal coming, realizing his own naivety in the process.

Struggle for Understanding and Loss of Identity

Erasmus and Damen both struggle to understand the betrayals, even when presented with evidence. Their initial innocence and naivety make it challenging for them to discern the true intentions of their trusted companions. This struggle not only highlights their vulnerability to deception but also the profound loss of agency and erasure of their former identities accompanying their transition into slavery.

Strong Emotional Responses to Change

Their abrupt changes in surroundings evoke powerful emotional responses, underscoring their powerlessness. Erasmus shakes with fear upon entering an unknown part of the palace, while Damen's struggle intensifies as he realizes his fate.

Profound Emotional Impact

The betrayals suffered at the hands of Kallias and Jokaste deeply affect Erasmus and Damen. Erasmus grapples with a sense of loss at the hands of someone he loved, and Damen is shocked and anguished by Jokaste's betrayal. The distress in their voices only highlight the depth of their connections and the trauma of their betrayals.

Induction into Slavery

The ritualistic aspects of their induction into slavery, such as collars and paint for Damen, and the absence of traditional ceremonies for Erasmus, showcase the drastic shift in their identities and further emphasize their disempowerment.

Protective Facades

Kallias's choice to wear a plain gold pin aligns him with Kastor and hides his true motives to protect Erasmus from Kastor's wrath.

Similarly, Jokaste's response, 'Nothing, but choose between brothers,' downplays the choice between Damen and Kastor. Her cold demeanor shields her true affections and the sacrifice she made by choosing Kastor for Damen's safety.

Longing for Connection

Damen and Erasmus long for understanding and connection from Jokaste and Kallias, but recieve emotional detachment or cruelty due to societal norms and power dynamics. This is because Jokaste and Kallias must maintain the appearance of allegiance to Kastor while secretly working to save Damen and Erasmus' lives, preventing them from openly expressing their true feelings.

Hidden Affection

In moments of vulnerability, Kallias wishes Erasmus could be his first, while Jokaste's letter to Damen hints at lingering feelings and missed opportunities for intimacy. These instances reveal that Kallias and Jokaste concealed their love from Erasmus and Damen, adopting a cold facade to protect them from Kastor's reign of terror. While Erasmus remains unaware throughout the series, Damen later discovers Jokaste's enduring affection, and ultimately lets her go in recognition of her sacrifices to save his life.

In conclusion, the parallel experiences of Erasmus and Damen during their inductions into slavery reveal not only the harrowing challenges they face but also deepen our understanding of Kallias and Jokaste's complex characters and the sacrifices they make to protect their loved ones.