#no but actually this would be SUCH a good parallel

[zephyrtheoctopie]

Heart of the Memverse, Veins of Order.

TASK M4NAGER!

(…name is a wip. Read its lore below the cut.)

Task M4nager came about from the ambitions of two differing entities. The conquest for Order and an unchanging world, coupled with the need for validation, the want to be acknowledged for SOMETHING by both their peers and their lovers.

But Four got a lot more than what he was bargaining for, that’s for sure.

Task M4nager is, in essence, the worst parts of Ramiel combined with the personality of Order merged to make one being. A scorned and slighted dictator, rejected by everyone.

But it wasn’t always like this.

TM was originally created by Marina as a sort of automated admin panel, able to keep the Memverse up and running without the constant need for organic oversight. TM was in charge of almost everything from the nodes, to the Spire, to even the things that spawn within and so on.

It also acted as a security system, preventing malicious viruses from entering and damaging the code. And it was *supposed* to prevent the exact circumstances that resulted in Order’s manifestation.

But it didn’t do that, did it? This failure in logic resulted in TM completely crashing and becoming basically inoperable.

You would think this would be a good thing for Order, but no actually. Despite its overriding of the system, TM was still above it in the hierarchy. And if TM hasn’t operated in a while, the Memverse’s code will start to rot and tear itself apart. The solution to this plight? The consciousness of a living being. With that, there would be no error since TM is now, well, alive.

The MV however, wasn’t open to the public yet. So Order couldn’t just pluck a random sanatized octo or something for it. But there was….a few beta testers.

Eight/Hephaeus, Acht, Pearl and…

Ramiel. Agent 4.

Out of all the potential choices, Ramiel was the most mentally malleable. See, over the past few months, he had been feeling more and more overshadowed. I mean, how could he not? Artemisa, Hephaeus, and Neo 3 had all basically saved the entire world at one point in their lives. What had Ram even done compared to that? Save a stupid glorified catfish? Hell, he didn’t even save Callie, MARIE was the one to shoot those shades off and bring her to her senses. He felt so….inadequate compared to everyone else. And it ate away at his ego, badly.

Because the MV kept tabs on its users mental states at all times, Order knew this all.

One day while Ram was finishing up recording his combat data for use in the Parallel Canons, Order came to him with a proposition.

That if he joined its cause, he would have everything he ever wanted. Recognition…

Ramiel, not in the best mental headspace, and not really knowing what he was getting himself into exactly, took it up on its offer.

Ram proceeded to have his little squid soul ripped from his physical body and transported into the Memverse, where it was planted into TM.

And thus, Task M4nager was born.

That’s about it.

Thanks if you actually took the time to read all this!

[soleminisanction]

Issue 6 of "The Saga of the Super Sons" answers an important question: where the fuck has Dick been in this scenario?

Answer, apparently: At college.

Which is... where Bruce Junior is supposed to be. Bruce Junior, whose mother Bruce almost certainly met years after he took Dick in as a ward. Bruce Junior, who appears to be younger than Dick, but not by that much.

If you came at a Silver or Bronze Age writer with today's modern "but why is this character still 17" bullshit, I think they'd laugh directly in your face.

By the by, Dick is here because Bruce has been murdered.

I guess some things never change.

This does present an amusing comparison with the more modern takes on the subject like Prodigal/Knightfall, Gotham Knights (the game) and Battle for the Cowl, because here the boys treat Batman like something they expect to be left to one of them in Bruce's legal, actual will, like the one read out loud by his lawyer, implying the lawyer would be in on the whole secret identity thing.

When that obviously doesn't happen they come to an agreement to both... team up? But also compete? To find out who murdered Bruce, and whoever does the actual uncovering wins the cowl. This, for... reasons involves seal hunting in the Arctic and, ah... northern Native people. Which means a lot of use of a certain slur that all Natives in that biome used to (and still do) get lumped under, which I shall endeavor to write around but just know, there's a lot of it. Like, a lot. A loooooot.

Less awkwardly, check out what Dick Dillin apparently thought a killer whale looked like:

Hell, look at those mildly demonic black seals. I know this was pre-Internet dude but you could've gone to your local library. Or picked up a Seaworld ad.

Another thing that apparently never changes: Super-Sons comics insisting that only blood relatives count as "real" children.

To be fair, I wasn't actually expecting to see Dick referred to as Bruce's son at all in this. And Bruce Jr. is the only one who says this, and he's pretty consistently portrayed as the more immature and bratty one in this equation, so it doesn't really feel like the story is "agreeing" with him, it's just an interesting parallel.

Of course, because this is the 70s, they don't have any consideration for things like tactical costume changes or the realities of being mostly normal guys in the Arctic. So, though the boys arrive wearing sensible parkas, once they change into their superhero costumes Dick is just, snow shoeing through the tundra and water skiing behind a seal in his short sleeves and bare legs.

You'll probably be grateful to hear that the white industrial seal hunter is in fact the bad guy of this story -- this is actually one of the more cohesive stories in the saga so far in that regard. Simon Link was exploiting the land by killing too many seals, and then massacred part of the native village when they fought back trying to stop him, so this man Malook wanted to kill him. But, unable to find him and unable to get the white authorities to listen to him, he instead traveled to America to target his business partner, Bruce Wayne.

Bruce Junior is appalled by the accusations but, interestingly, Dick is willing to hear the guy out. When Link's crime is exposed (with the help of the Supers Senior and Junior, natch), he tries to escape across the ice.... disguised as a seal... aaaaand...

Huh. Okay then. Justice is served, I guess.

Oh also Bruce Senior's still alive.

I mean... good on you for realizing the need to make amends for funding exploitative colonialism, Brucie-boy, but did you have to do it in a way that put your son through the exact same trauma you went through? Complete with the murder mystery dinner theater death scene?

Not to mention your poor wife, do you know how much shit you two have put her through in the last however long it's been?? Junior faked his death complete with a full funeral in the first issue of the saga and now you're doing the same thing! If you actually did marry Talia she'll gut you both the next time she sees you and probably Dick too just because she's never liked him.

Anyway, for a parting shot, check out the image they used to advertise this story on the cover, it's one of the funniest things I've ever seen. Beware the Ominous Pixie Boot!

[raina-at]

Self-rec Thingy

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. spread the self-love ❤

Thank you for the tag, @calaisreno and @weeesi

This is surprisingly difficult. I shamelessly admit that I like all of my fics, otherwise I wouldn't have posted them ;-)

So. Favourite five.

I'll start with Spare Parts, my Sci-Fi AU. I loved writing this fic, and I love the worldbuilding, I love the hostility of the environment and the resilience John and Sherlock show to not only survive, but thrive in a hostile world. It's set in the 24th century on Titan, but of all my AUs, it's actually the most canon compliant, ironically. It's also me going into the meat and bones of what Reichenbach meant for Sherlock and John, and my thoughts on why Sherlock did what he did. (it's also probably my most underappreciated fic in terms of effort versus response, but I love it, and that's all that matters ;-))

Next up is Nothing Gold Can Stay, a fix-it for S3. I carried this idea with me for months, and the fic came out in little bursts of hundred-word-snippets (in stark contrast to the sequels, which flowed out of my pen in a matter of days), but I'm really happy with the end result. I also always wanted to write a series of short fics that hang together, and this was the starting point for the series that I will continue, promise, as soon as life isn't quite as crazy. My plan is to continue the series as a sort of parallel to S3, but let's see what life does to me over the next few months.

Since this is about fics I like best and not necessarily underappreciated stories, it would be remiss of me not to honour the bakers here. Bakers with Benefits is by far my most popular story, and I like it a lot. It was great fun to write (I grin like a loon when I re-read the cake war chapter), and I love revisiting them in ficlets (which should be obvious, given how often I do it ;-)) They're so much fun, and they're so comforting. I love writing established relationship with them, because you can just throw whatever at them and you absolutely know they'll get through it together.

It almost feels unfair to my lesser-loved stories to pick my fic with the most kudos here, but, well, I really like it. Don't Read the Last Page is probably the most realistic life with a child fic I've written (and parts of it are directly ripped from real life), and it has one of my top three favourite conversations between Sherlock and John I've ever written in there (and also probably my second favourite first kiss).

So the last one is really hard, because like I said, I like all of my fics. But just for the sheer joy of writing it (I can't describe how eager I felt to "spend time" with this fic when I wrote it), and for the love of theatre and Jane Austen that's always in my heart, I'm picking my theatre/Persuasion AU Take Two. There's fics you struggle with, fics you labour on, and fics that take over your body and just pour out with sheer joy and creative flow, and this fic was definitely the latter. It also has PINING!, and I love me some good PINING!

Tagging @helloliriels @jrow @meetinginsamarra @lisbeth-kk and @blogstandbygo , but if you see this and want to do it, consider yourself tagged!

[babyrdie]

@annie-also-draws

I'm making a new post instead of reblogging because I was afraid this topic would be too long for a reblog lol! For the context of those who came to this post without knowing what we're talking about, it's about this other post here. I'm not going to put exact excerpts of everything I mention because I think the original post covers it.

And as always, my usual reminders:

I'm not a classicist or any other professional of that sort.

Disagree at will.

If you have something to correct or add, comment or reblog.

This post has a lot of details because I know that not everyone in these tags has read The Iliad, but they like to read posts about it, so I think it's good to provide as much content as possible.

But anyway, I guess the idea of Patroclus being sassy comes from Book 16 of The Iliad!

Typical portrayal of Patroclus

Patroclus is generally portrayed as a companion who balances Achilles's flaws: more patient, wise, approachable, and empathetic. This is also why Patroclus must be older than Achilles, because no matter how short the difference is, it's used as an argument for why Patroclus should be the advisor (and therefore the one who is listened to) even though Achilles is the one with more status.

Furthermore, Agamemnon generally had two advisors. One is Odysseus and the other is Nestor. And Nestor, a character portrayed as wise, thought there was a chance of getting to Achilles through Patroclus. This was because he knew that Patroclus would be more willing to listen than Achilles, and he was hopeful that, as he was someone Achilles would normally listen to, there would be a change in attitude. This happens in Book 11.

Nestor also doesn't appear to be the only one to have had this reasoning. Phoenix, also a character more wise than warrior, told the story of Meleager and Cleopatra which is a parallel to the story of Achilles and Patroclus. Although the text doesn't make it clear whether it's a purposeful attitude by the character or just a narrative parallel, I still think it's significant since Patroclus was present in this conversation and therefore heard Phoenix. This happens in Book 9.

Another example of Patroclus acting as a kind of "bridge" between Achilles and other characters is in the only line Briseis has, where she says that Patroclus promised that he would marry her to Achilles. The idea of marrying her captor seems horrible, but we have to remember that in the historical context Briseis would be safer as a legitimate wife than as a slave. I imagine she also didn't know about the prophecy that Achilles would die in Troy, so she probably thought she could ensure a stable life by doing so. This happens in Book 19.

Homer also has other characters emphasize how kind Patroclus was after his death. He also makes it clear that Patroclus was best able to control the agitated temperaments of the divine horses Balius and Xanthus. Overall, in The Iliad he's a controlled and pleasant character. That's why he's often portrayed this way in modern times too —because Patroclus is like that most of the time!

Patroclus' moment of aristeia

However, in Book 16 this doesn't happen. Patroclus isn't controlled, wise, kind or rational in Book 16. In fact, he's the opposite, he's almost a deconstruction of the character. This is ironic, since Patroclus' shining moment is precisely Book 16 — the moment of his aristea, that is, when a character proves to be the aristo, "the best". Ironically, his aristea happens in a setting where his personality isn't his usual self.

Achilles accepts the suggestion to let Patroclus go in his armor, but with one requirement: Patroclus had a limit on how far he could advance and, once he reached that limit, he had to return. He gives two reasons for this:

He's afraid that one of the gods on the Trojan side will kill Patroclus. Ironically, he even mentions Apollo, which later actually kills Patroclus.

He wants him and Patroclus to share the glory. This wouldn't be possible if Patroclus got all the glory. This makes me think that Achilles planned to return to war, even with Patroclus alive…after all, what glory would the two achieve together if not like this (since Achilles knew he wouldn't leave Troy alive)?

"[...] Once you have whipped the enemy from the fleet you must come back, Patrodus. Even if Zeus the thundering lord of Hera lets you seize your glory, you must not bum for war against these Trojans, madmen lusting for battle — not without me — you will only make my glory that much less… You must not, lost in the flush and fire of triumph, slaughtering Trojans outright. drive your troops to Troy— what if one of the gods who never die comes down from Olympus heights to intervene in battle? 110 The deadly Archer loves his Trojans dearly. No. you must turn back— soon as you bring the light of victory to the ships. Let the rest of them cut themselves to pieces on the plain! Oh would to god — Father Zeus. Athena and lord Apollo not one of all these Trojans could flee his death, not one, no Argive either, but we could stride from the slaughter so we could bring Troy's hallowed crown of towers toppling down around us — you and I alone!"

The Iliad, 16.101-119. Translation by Robert Fagles.

Achilles even makes a libation to Zeus, asking Zeus to guide Patroclus in the fight and bring him safely. Zeus accepts the first request, but not the second.

But Achilles strode back to his shelter now and opened the lid of the princely inlaid sea chest that glistening-footed Thetis stowed in his ship to carry, filled to the brim with war-shirts, windproof cloaks and heavy fleecy rugs. And there it rested… his handsome, well-wrought cup. No other man would drink the shining wine from its glowing depths, nor would Achillespour the wine to any other god, none but Father Zeus. Lifting it from the chest he purified it with sulphur crystals first 270 then rinsed it out with water running clear, washed his hands and filled it bright with wine. And then, taking a stand before his lodge, he prayed, pouring the wine to earth and scanning the high skies and the god who loves the lightning never missed a word: "King Zeus — Pelasgian Zeus, lord of Dodona's holy shrine, dwelling far away, brooding over Dodona's bitter winters! Your prophets dwelling round you, Zeus, the Selli sleeping along the ground with unwashed feet… If you honored me last time and heard my prayer 280 and rained destruction down on all Achaea's ranks, now, once more, I beg you, bring my prayer to pass! I myself hold out on shore with the beached ships here but I send my comrade forth to war with troops of Myrmidons— Launch glory along with him, high lord of thunder, Zeus! Fill his hean with courage — so even Hector learns if Patroclus has the skill to fight his wars alone, my friend-in. arms, or his hands can rage unvanquished only when I go wading in and face the grind of battle. aut once he repels the roaring onslaught from the ships 290 let him come back to me and our fast fleet-unharmed wtth all my armor round him, all our comrades fighting round my friend!" So Achilles prayed and Zeus in all his wisdom heard those prayers. One prayer the Father granted, the other he denied: Patrodus would drive the onslaught off the ships — that much Zeus granted, true, but denied him safe and sound return from battle. Once Achilles had poured the wine and prayed to Zeus, he returned to his shelter, stowed the cup in the chest 300 then took his stand outside, his spirit yearning still to watch Achaeans and Trojans struggle to the death.

The Iliad, 16.261-302. Translation by Robert Fagles.

Patroclus killed A LOT of people alone in his aristeia, but not just that. He's also described in a way that you wouldn't associate him with someone with a controlled temper. He doesn't seem like the calculating type of warrior, he seems like a more wild type. It can be said that Patroclus is really bloodthirsty in Book 16.

Hundreds of plunging war-teams dragging chariots down. snapping the yoke-poles. ditched their masters' cars and Patroclus charged them. heart afire for the kill, shouting his Argivesforward — "Slaughter Trojans!" Cries of terror breaking as Trojans choked all roads, 440 their lines ripped to pieces. up from under the hoofs a dust storm swirling into the clouds as rearing horses broke into stride again and galloped back to Troy, leaving ships and shelters in their wake. Patroclus— wherever he saw the biggest masses-dashing before him, there he steered, plowing ahead with savage cries and fighters tumbled out of their chariots headfirst, crushed under their axles. war-cars crashing over, yes, but straight across the trench went his own careering team at a superhuman bound. Magnificent racing stallions. 450 gifts of the gods to Peleus, shining immortal gifts. straining breakneck on as Patroclus' high courage urged him against Prince Hector. keen for the kill but Hector's veering horses swept him clear.

The Iliad, 16.436-454. Translation by Robert Fagles.

He's even compared to Ares, who in The Iliad is very clearly reaffirmed as a bloodthirsty type of deity. Even other gods don't see him in the best light. Although, of course, the comparison with Ares also serves to illustrate the character's warrior ability (in this specific example, speed). Menelaus, for example, receives the association with Ares as well and he's a good warrior..

Three times he charged with the headlong speed of Ares, screaming his savage cry, three times he killed nine men.

The Iliad, 16.912-913. Translation by Robert Fagles.

Achilles is the one remembered for what he did to Hector's corpse, but he wasn't the only Homeric character to wish to do so. He was just the only one who got to the corpse, and that's why he's more memorable. Hector wanted to do the same with Patroclus's corpse, even offering rewards to the Trojan who retrieved the corpse, and before that Patroclus wanted to do the same with Sarpedon after killing him. Hector was unable to do this because Menelaus saved the corpse and bought time for the Achaeans to help recover Patroclus' body. Patroclus also failed to get Sarpedon's corpse, as the Trojans stopped him.

But the Argives surged to Patroclus' savage spirit— he spurred the Aeantes first, both ablaze for battle: 650 "Ajax, Ajaxl Come — now thrill to fight as before, brave among the brave, but now be braver still! Their captain's down, the first to storm our wall, the great Sarpedon. If only we could seize his body, mutilate him, shame him, tear his gear from his back and any comrade of his who tries to shield his corpse— bring that enemy down witn ruthless bronze!"

The Iliad, 16.649.657. Translation by Robert Fagles.

That is, in Book 16, Patroclus attempted to commit the same crime as Achilles. And he would have committed it, if he hadn't been stopped. And while Achilles did this to Hector SPECIFICALLY because of Patroclus, Patroclus wanted to do it to Sarpedon because he "felt entitled" so to speak. It wasn't because he was angry, sad, etc, he was simply feeling like he could do anything.

Remember how I said that Zeus accepted Achilles' first request (to give glory to Patroclus) but not his second (to guarantee safety to Patroclus)? As I've already made clear, he did indeed give the glory, but he didn't guarantee the safety because Zeus is actually one of the reasons for Patroclus' death.

He kept them fixed on the struggling mass forever, the Father's spirit churning, thrashing out the ways, the numberless ways to cause Patroclus' slaughter… To kill him too in this present bloody rampage over Sarpedon's splendid body? Hector in glory cutting Patroclus down with hacking bronze then tearing the handsome war-gear off his back? Or let him take still more, piling up his kills?

The Iliad, 16.751-758. Translation by Robert Fagles.

He did it not because he was being petty or anything like this, it was just that Patroclus was destined to die and Zeus in The Iliad follows what is destined. For example, he wanted to save Sarpedon from Patroclus, but he didn't because Sarpedon had to die. So the reason Zeus quickly refused Achilles' second request is because he knew he couldn't compromise the fate. Later, Zeus declares Hector's destined death for having killed Patroclus. In other words, he's in fact doing this simply because destiny calls for this chain of events. It's not like Zeus wants Sarpedon dead, wants Patroclus dead because he's upset about his son's death, and then declares Hector dead because he suddenly decides he wants to avenge Patroclus.

In Book 8, Zeus is even described with a balance:

But once the sun stood striding at high noon. 80 then Father Zeus held out his sacred golden scales: in them he placed two fates of death that lays men low— one for the Trojan horsemen, one for Argives armed in bronze— and gripping the beam mid-haft the Father raised it high and down went Achaea's day of doom, Achaea's fate settling down on the earth that feeds us all as the fate of Troy went lifting toward the sky.

The Iliad, 8.80-87. Translation by Robert Fagles.

Just going a little off topic to try and contextualize Zeus because I don't want to make it seem like this is a case of "shit, damn Zeus!" His character here is sort of responsible for balance.

Anyway, Zeus chooses how to make Patroclus die. He makes Hector want to retreat, which consequently makes the Trojans retreat since Hector is the one leading them (in this scene, again the image of Zeus as responsible for the balance appears, since we have the phrase "He knew that Zeus had tipped the scales against him"). Zeus does this with the intention of making Patroclus disobey Achilles: that is, to go beyond the limit that Achilles gave him.

But Patroclus, giving a cry to Automedon whipping on his team, 800 Patroclus went for Troy's and Lycia's lines, blind in his fatal frenzy — luckless soldier. If only he had obeyed Achilles' strict command he might have escaped his doom, the stark night of death. But the will of Zeus will always overpower the will of men. Zeus who strikes fear in even the bravest man of war and tears away his triumph, all in a lightning flash, and at other times he will spur a man to battle. just as he urged Patroclus' fury now

The Iliad, 16.800-809. Translation by Robert Fagles.

Patroclus, in an inconsequential act, tries many times to attack the walls of Troy, but Apollo repels him on all occasions, shouting that not even Achilles is destined to conquer Troy, much less Patroclus. Apollo then incites Hector, who is uncertain, to kill Patroclus. In the confrontation, Hector's ally and half-brother, Cebriones, is accidentally killed by Patroclus as he attempts to hit Hector. And well, let's just say Patroclus's reaction isn't exactly the most honorable.

The sharp stone crushed both brows, the skull caved in and both eyes burst from their sockets, dropping down in the dust before his feet as the reinsman vaulted, plunging off his well-wrought car like a diverCebriones' life breath left his bones behind and you taunted his corpse, Patroclus O my rider: "Look what a springy man, a nimble, flashy rumbler! Just think what he'd do at sea where the fish swarm— why. the man could glut a fleet. diving for oysters! Plunging overboard, even in choppy, heaving seas, just as he dives to ground from his war-car now. Even these Trojans have their tumblers — what a leap!" And he leapt himself at the fighting driver's corpse with the rushing lunge of a lion struck in the chest as he lays waste pens of cattle— his own lordly courage about to be his death. So you sprang at Cebriones, full fury, Patroclus, as Hector sprang down from his chariot just across and the two went tussling over the corpse as lions 880 up on the mountain ridges over a fresh-killed stag— both ravenous, proud and savage — fight it out to the death. So over the driver here and both claw-mad for battle, Patrodus son of Menoetius, Hector ablaze for glory strained to slash each other with ruthless bronze. Hector seized the corpse's head, would not let go— Patrodus clung to a foot and other fighters clashed, Trojans, Argives, all in a grueling, maiming onset.

The Iliad, 16.862-888. Translation by Robert Fagles.

Ironically, in addition to Achilles dishonoring Hector's body (as Patroclus previously tried to do with Sarpedon), he also throws Trojan corpses into the waters of the Scamander River, precisely the reason that angers the god and makes him fight Achilles (and here Patroclus, also before Achilles, tries to throw Cebriones' corpse into the river). Patroclus' attitude of unnecessarily mocking an enemy (as Cebriones was already dead. It's not like it's a mutual provocation between warriors or anything, it's simply someone stronger humiliating someone weaker) is also something that Achilles does.

And then we have the other important moment. Apollo takes off Patroclus' armor and breaks his spear. Not enough, Patroclus is also stunned. The funny part is that even with Patroclus at a clear disadvantage, one of the Trojans doesn't dare to face Patroclus.

He was the first to launch a spear against you, PatrocIus O my rider, but did not bring you down. Yanking out his ashen shaft from your body, back he dashed and lost himself in the crowds— the man would not stand up to PatrocIus here in mortal combat, stripped, defenseless as he was.

The Iliad, 16.943-948. Translation by Robert Fagles.

As we already know, Hector hits him with the spear and delivers the deadly blow (as shown before, Hector wasn't responsible for the first blow. Patroclus was already injured. He delivers the fatal blow). While Hector is boasting to Patroclus that he defeated him (he was like "you idiot, you thought you were going to conquer Troy and screw my people! Oh, but you didn't! You must have come here under the orders of that damn Achilles, but now you're dead! Oh sucker, your body will be eaten by the vultures!"), Patroclus responds in the following way:

Struggling for breath, you answered. Patroclus O my rider, "Hector! Now is your time to glory to the skies … now the victory is yours. A gift of the son of Cronus, Zeus —Apollo — toothey brought me down with all their deathless ease. they are the ones who tore the armor off my back. Even if twenty Hectors had charged against me— they'd all have died here, laid low by my spear. No, deadly fate in league with Apollo killed me. From the ranks of men, Euphorbus. You came third, and all you could do was finish off my life . . . One more thing — take it to heart, I urge you — you too, you won't live long yourself. I swear. Already I see them looming up beside you — death and the strong force of fate, to bring you down at the hands of Aeacus' great royal son… Achilles!"

And then he dies.

Basically, Hector had just stabbed him with a spear and was bragging, but Patroclus somehow still decided to use his last words to basically go "lol you really are an asshole. Know that I'm so badass that you just managed to defeat me because of Zeus and Apollo, I would have kicked your ass 20 times if it weren't for that. But don't twist your knickers too much because of this, idiot, Achilles is coming!" and proceeds to die. So yeah…at least no one can accuse Patroclus of not being able to be sharp when he wants to!

Summarizing what Patroclus did in Book 16, regardless of whether it was designed by Zeus:

He has the most deaths in a single book, and is described in a savage and bloodthirsty way while doing so. So it's not just that he's a skilled warrior, Patroclus is also not being his usual wiser, more controlled self while doing this. More than his skill, his bloodthirsty attitude is more remarkable.

He tries to dishonor a corpse, and then tries to throw another one into the water. None of these attitudes were considered morally correct, even by Ancient Greek standards. So no, it's not a case of "oh, but that's a modern morality"…it's not. The funeral was a very important thing, so preventing your enemy from having one wasn't seen in a positive light. It could even be seen as a contradiction to divine laws, something that Sophocles discusses in the play Antigone for example (In this case, the enemy who is denied his funeral is Polynices and the one who denies him is Creon).

He becomes careless and arrogant. He mocks the enemy when it's no longer necessary (Cebriones was already dead, for example), he advances further than he should, in general Patroclus keeps getting closer and closer to death the less rationally he acts.

He decided to use his last words to be as acidic as possible! Seriously, I know it's sad that Patroclus dies, but I find his last words hilarious. Dude was like "you suck and Achilles will kick your ass!" and then his soul left his body.

Conclusion

I guess another possibility is the Clysonimus incident. Regardless of how accidental it was, Patroclus as a child still killed Clysonimus for a silly reason (dices). This, at the very least, indicates that as a child at some point he became angry enough to have a conflict with another boy that would result in a death. Also note that I'm combining different sources in this account (which are in the original post), as not all of them explicitly state the name of the dead boy or the reason for the conflict. Anyway, the sources don't actually tend to detail the event…it's just a quick background. So it's not possible to have a good idea of how exactly Patroclus reacted and how the death happened with certainty.

But most people see this Clysonimus thing as just an extremely accidental death, so I genuinely think the reason Patroclus is sometimes associated with "sassy" is Book 16 although he wasn't 100% his usual self and there was divine interference in at least part of this (I'm talking about Zeus helping him have honor in battle, but also manipulating his death). However, gods interfering is a common thing, so Zeus also isn't THAT big of a detail. I doubt it's sassy thing is from another source either because the other sources for Patroclus aren't known as The Iliad.

And I don't know if people take this into account in the fics you've read, but Patroclus didn't mince words with that description either:

"No time to sit, old soldier dear to the gods. You won't persuade me. Awesome and quick to anger, the man who sent me here to find out who's been wounded, the one you've just brought in. But I can see him— 770 I recognize Machaon myself, the expert healer. So back I go to give Achilles the message. Well you know, old soldier loved by the gods, what sort of man heis — that great and terrible man. Why, he'd leap to accuse a friend without a fault."

The Iliad, 11.767-775. Translation by Robert Fagles.

In short, both the portrayal of Patroclus being kinder than other characters and him being somehow violent or sassy make sense. He is a balanced character. But, notably, him being bloodthirsty isn't typical of him, so portraying him as being that way 100% of the time would be a stretch. But yeah, he's definitely not an angel!

There are other things to talk about on the subject of Book 16, but I suppose I'll have to leave them for another post because they have no relation to the answer to this question and enter another territory. It also should take longer to write.

[eddiediazismyhusband]

Two hopefully lighthearted Buddie questions:

What are some Buddie scenes you really like that maybe are not talked about so much by the fandom?

Buck & Eddie go on a date. Not really their first one, just a date. What will they do?

Ooooh love these:

One of my favorite buddie scenes hands down in the entire show is when they’ve responded to the scene of Shannon’s accident, and Buck sees her first, and his immediate instinct is to protect Eddie from having to see her like that. I know it’s technically not really a BUDDIE scene but it’s one of my favorites earlier instances of them really showcasing how protective Buck is of Eddie.

I also really REALLY do love the scene in 7x9 in Eddie’s kitchen where Buck tells him he’s worried about him. Obviously, I’ve stated before that the whole Kim storyline pisses me off and there were plenty of ways they could have had Eddie go through some kind of dramatic shift in 7b without some wack-ass doppelgänger storyline, but the way that Buck’s devotion to Eddie was shown so clearly, as well as Eddie’s reliance on Buck is something so special to me because they really are exactly what each other need. Buck needs to feel like he is helping someone he cares about, and Eddie needs to know he’s not in this alone and they both fulfill that need for each other far beyond anyone else in their lives (with the exception of Maddie and Chris).

And lastly for buddie scenes, I am a huge fan of the just random blurbs we get of them. Goofing off on calls, enabling each other’s stupidity, blurry background shots of them being dumb, etc. I ofc think they are soulmates in a romantic way, but their friendship is still so dear to me, and those scenes where we just get to see them be goofs with each other just fill my heart w joy… ive not really touched on this but i’ve always been one of those people who really struggles to connect with people romantically unless we are already friends, and have always dreamed of one day marrying someone i consider to be one of my best friends which is one of the reasons why buddie is such a special ship to me.

Now, as far as buddie’s first date: I think there are so many options. My personal dream (as stated in my buddie paralleling bathena when they go canon post) would be that they go out for a nice dinner— nothing too fancy, but where eddie gets buck flowers, and they dress up, and enjoy a nice romantic evening together.

I could also see them doing something more fun like possible going to an axe-throwing place, or go-karting (like buck wanted to do w eddie in 7x1 👀) or going to the pier together.

But all of that said, i think it might be interesting for thier first date (whatever they do) to go absolutely terrible and one of them gets in their head about it and thinks that maybe they aren’t cut out for being a couple if they can’t even go on one date, and the other points out that they’ve kinda been dating for years, but that now they get to hold hands and kiss and tell each other “i love you” and let it be one of their first small hurdles bc it would in a sense be accepting the fact that neither of them are necessarily “good” at dating, but that they don’t have time be because they already care too much about each other… bonus points if we see a few failed sates before this confrontation, and after we get another date that they are both obviously not as nervous for, and it actually goes perfectly.

thank you for the ask, bestie! i really enjoyed thinking about this one 💕💕

[rapha-reads]

OOooooh my goodness, Doctor Who goes full mythology *full body shiver*

I'm aware it's not the first time, but from what I'm reading, Sutekh appears in only one TV serial before today, and all of his other appearances are in audio, comics and prose. And without doing too much research (edit: I ended up doing too much research), every episode that somewhat touched on the spiritual/mythological before never put the deity at the center of the story (except the pantheon of discord, but the Tardis Wiki article on it isn't very long and I already have done enough research for today). Like, "The Satan Pit", remember, who cares that Satan was chained on an asteroid somewhere in space, that wasn't the point. Interesting to note, "The Satan Pit" was not written by RTD, but did you notice how Carla Sunday was the first one to name Sutekh before anyone else, and call him "The Beast"? The Beast being one of the name of the Devil? And the Egyptian God Set, or Sutekh, having been conflated with the Devil when Egyptian religion met Christianity...? Clearly RTD and his writers have done their research. By the way, the Devil article on Tardis Wiki is fascinating. But unless I read too fast, none of the several Devils, Satans and Beasts the Doctor has encountered are part of the Pantheon of Discord, though Sutekh does use the name Beast too. Go figure.

Anyway... Not really a point to my ramblings. I don't want to do a full review of the episode just yet, I want to wait for the second part. But Set was my favourite Egyptian god as a kid, I've always thought that he's too easily cast as the evil god when polytheist pantheons usually do not have a single figure of evil, but gods representing concepts that can be used for evil (the way Loki in Norse mythology is a trickster god but his representations today turns him into a demon, demon here holding the monotheistic, abrahamic meaning of the word; note to self: check out the academic literature on comparisons and parallels between Loki and Set - how much syncretism at work here?).

Ahem. I don't know where I'm going with that. To revisit later, when I've had time to put my thoughts in order. Things to point out:

Carla calling the shade surrounding the Tardis "The Beast" before anyone else could start to guess anything - something fishy is going on with her.

Mrs Flood. Everything about her.. Is she a Sutekh cultist, like in the old episode "Pyramides of Mars"? Is she another Harbinger? Is she another, last surviving Time Lord?

Is the storm only coincidental, or is it going to be important in the next episode? By which I mean, is it a normal storm, or are we talking locusts and cricket plague storm? (Or sand-of-time-storm, ba dum tse)

Speaking of Harbinger, kinda sad Harriet isn't an actual character, she was cool.

So does this mean that this Susan was another Harbinger, or an avatar of Sutekh, who took on the name to mock the Doctor? EDIT: checked the Tardis wiki, she was an actual woman who was later possessed by Sutekh and turned into his puppet. Okay, one mystery solved.

The way Kate looked at the Doctor after the death of the security officer in the Time Window. Oof. That. That hurts.

The way Mel is not surprised at all by the Doctor's meltdown, and knows exactly how to stop him from spiralling down and getting back up. That's Companion Experience here.

Ruby and Rose immediately becoming the best of friends. Yes please!

Oh, music talk! Did y'all notice that the Saxon theme was played when Susan's prompter started going haywire? I recognised the melody but couldn't put my finger on it, just knew Murray Gold was playing us a throwback, until I read the Tardis Wiki page about the episode. Quite nice!

Okay, I already have 10 different Tardis Wiki tabs opened, I'm gonna calm down before I start writing an entire thesis about Doctor Who and Mythology. .. Do you think there's already thesis like that? I would love to read that.

Apart from all of that, it's kind of a weird episode, though, isn't it? The Doctor usually never seeks out trouble, and they hardly ever ask for help. Like, they don't just pop in for a visit, or to use UNIT's tech unless a crisis has already begun, or UNIT themselves called them in. At least in New Who, main TV episodes, I can't remember one instance of the Doctor appearing in UNIT's HQ or where their former companions are of their own volition (in Class, he appears in Coal Hills, because the Shadowkin are already here; in the Sarah Jane Adventures, I haven't watched it, but Tenth comes to help Sarah Jane because she's trapped in a Time Loop, and later Eleventh is a plot point himself; same in "Day of the Doctor", UNIT calls him in, crisis already ongoing). The Doctor appearing in UNIT HQ, saying "alright, here are two mysteries that I want solved today and y'all are going to help me", that's very new. And maybe very welcome...? If it makes the Doctor reconnect with former companions, and start popping in for tea and scones, that would be nice.

[fuck-i-love-october]

I think Cooliver is so heartbreaking, not only because they never actually ended up together but because they both envied each other for what they themselves did not have and they were just living parallel but so madly in love with each other. Cooper just wanted to feel like he belonged somewhere. He wanted to get away from the lavish lifestyle he had been handed in exchange for that of a parents affection or love. He wanted somewhere to reside with the love and genuine care of a family. He wanted to experience the ugly because he knew it would make the good so much better. Oliver on the other hand, wanted success. He wanted to prove that he was more than his social status, and that he could get out of his situation. He wanted to live amongst those he idolized because only then would he feel accomplished. He wanted material possession to be able to prove his worth, because he never felt as though he had any. And instead, they found the epitome of what they were looking for within one person; eachother.

[whollyjoly]

hey so you know how devin kelley said she and oliver have a scene as kim and buck this season??

...yeah i DEFINITELY think we're going to get an uno reverse of the crashed date from 7x05, where buck and tommy are going to be out and about and run into eddie and kim, which leads to some...Awkward Conversations 👀👀

(bonus points if we see eddie ask buck to babysit chris cause he's going on a date with marisol, only for buck to say no caues he has his own plans, and then they run into eddie with kim. the DRAMA)

((double bonus points if we get an 📢📢 EDDIE 📢📢 thats even louder than the buck heard round the world))

y'all this is gonna be MESSY and i cannot WAIT

[lazycranberrydoodles]

diversity win! your doomed greek tragedy ship is genderfluid!

[sophfandoms53]

anyways i am very much still thinking about this,,, i have not moved and i will never move on

[everlarking-always]

“I had a dream, though,” I say, thinking back. “I was following a mockingjay through the woods. For a long time. It was Rue, really. I mean, when it sang, it had her voice.” “Where did she take you?” he says, brushing my hair off my forehead. “I don’t know. We never arrived.” I say. “But I felt happy.” ... Peeta pulls the chain with the gold disk from around his neck. He holds it in the moonlight so I can clearly see the mockingjay. Then his thumb slides along a catch I didn’t notice before and the disc pops open. It’s not solid, as I had thought, but a locket. And within the locket are photos. […] “Your family needs you, Katniss,” Peeta says. My family. My mother. My sister. And my pretend cousin Gale. But Peeta’s intention is clear. That Gale really is my family, or will be one day, if I live. That I’ll marry him. So Peeta’s giving me his life and Gale at the same time. To let me know I shouldn’t ever have doubts about it. Everything. That’s what Peeta wants me to take from him. ... He puts the chain with the locket around my neck, then rests his hand over the spot where our baby would be. “You’re going to make a great mother, you know,” he says. ... As I drift off, I try to imagine that world, somewhere in the future, with no Games, no Captiol. A place like the meadow in the song I sang to Rue as she died. Where Peeta’s child could be safe. ....

[batbabydamian]

so, Batman #147… rambling about the difference in how Zdarsky portrays the two current Robins

this is a fantastic run for Tim, and very much written like a return to form of what plenty consider the best dynamic duo, but even more so "the best Robin". once Damian's introduced in this run, Zdarsky really makes sure you still know that lol

1. "We don't need anyone else" VS "I need my family"

#147 clearly exemplifies the contrast, so i'll go through it first. Damian, having fallen for Zurr's lie and accepted him as the real Bruce, goes so far as to say in the very first page "We don't need anyone else." it's cold colors, machinery, and hollow declarations of "father and son" for these two.

towards the ending, Tim has deduced where the real Bruce is hiding and brings him food expecting Bruce's knack for self-neglect. it's all warmth, sunshine, and mutual understanding - also a cute back and forth of "Batman and Robin" between them. on top of this, where Damian isolates Batman & Robin from family, Tim is the one to remind Bruce about "helping each other." Bruce heartily agrees with "I need my family" for a weighty end.

along with this parallel, from #138 Tim makes it clear that even in opposition, he's only ever trying to help Bruce. Damian was still on the wrong side with Zurr-induced-Bruce here at the time too 😭

2. Tim's independence as both a hero and partner

Tim is written as the ideal Robin to Bruce's Batman, and has made Robin its own independent hero on equal footing rather than a sidekick - it's made in statements by both Tim and Bruce, and through the entire narrative. he takes initiative and tries to foresee what would ultimately help Bruce. beyond being great partners, there's many bits showing their emotional connection ("i'm scared of being lost, but i'm more scared of losing you, Bruce" hit me like a bag of bricks). tbh this almost could be a Batman and Robin run lol

added the first panel from #126 of Tim declaring he's his own hero outside of Bruce, proven plenty especially in his backups in #131-134!! the other panels are a few highlights from #128, #130, and #135 of the partnership between Tim and Bruce

granted it's Zurr, but Damian is mostly seen following orders and given pensive looking panels when there's something concerning. While Tim continued to represent Batman's ideals during his own solo quest to find Bruce, Damian doesn't question or take action against "Bruce's" sudden shift in ethics

Batman #134 Backup - Tim showing support toward Toyman VS Batman #146 - Zurr and Damian confront Harley as she pleads about her change of heart

another kiinda parallel in #147 is Bruce acknowledging Tim's hard work to become Robin compared to Damian who's out here going Batman and Robin/Father and Son. i don't think it's an intended parallel but just the state of continuing to show Tim in a better light - Tim put in the effort "to become the second-best Robin" while Damian is Robin because..."son." supposedly less effort on his part too, because LOA.

second pic is from Batman/Catwoman The Gotham War: Scorched Earth, felt fitting to add since Tim mentions needing to "know everything" in both. and the humble brag. which ofc Tim believes Dick is the best!! but also. jic we didn't know Tim is the best current Robin sdfgh

3. Damian's blind loyalty as "Bruce's son"

there's a weight to the Robin title when regarding Tim, whereas Damian's "Robin" role is excess and counterintuitive. he's delegated to desperate sidekick to Bruce, as well as becoming an obstacle to the family. being Robin only seems significant to Damian in how it ties himself to his father, and his single Robin quality is a loyalty that's been written to an extreme fault. the only positive angle i could see this in is Zdarsky aiming to put Damian in a sympathetic light in how far Damian was willing to fall to stay by his father's side, hence, fooled by that nightmare story/confession. the problem with this is that we have not seen a single emotional connection between the two in this run, so why should we care about that relationship.

also, Damian constantly bringing up his position as Bruce's son just makes him look entitled? since Bruce rightfully expressed his claim of having the others as his sons too (with the unfortunate exclusion of his daughter)! so it's like a "lol you're not that special" vibe when looking at it from the outside?? ykw concerning #138, Damian saying "You're the one trying to destroy my father" also could have been in contrast to Tim saying "We'll help our dad" at the end.

Zdarsky seems to believe the only meaningful part of Damian being Robin is he's the son of Bruce, and not a single nod to any noble aspect Damian's achieved beyond that. we're constantly reminded of Tim's greatest hits as Robin, from taking on the mantle to pull Bruce out of darkness (#135, #138), mastermind a whole takedown (Gotham War: Scorched Earth), and always being on the same wavelength with Bruce etc. the entire run sings Tim's praise, and it's deserved!! my problem is how it's in stark contrast to Damian's portrayal of being the other Robin who's only special because he believes he's the greatest son and wants to be at Bruce's side.

so all this to say, if your fav is Tim YOU'RE EATING WELL!! personally as a chronic enjoyer of things, this has been an entertaining run! as a chronic enjoyer of Damian, it's definitely not for many of his fans at this point in time.

i did like this part!! his grin!!

[buccellato]

Fucks me up to think about how Legato's legacy in-universe after his death in Trimax (and presumably Tristamp) is probably gonna be how much he sucked and nothing else....

Like, nobody will like Knives but Vash will be long-lived enough to be able to eventually talk about his good qualities from when he was a child and his quasi-redemption in his last days. But who remembers Legato? Livio and Vash are the only living people with any extended memory of him and neither of them would have anything nice to say (and rightfully so). Neither of them probably knew he was a slave, either—as far as Vash can tell this dude showed up one day and hated his guts, for all he knows he's just another survivor from July! Outside of Knives, Elendira, Legato, and maybe Conrad, I don't think any other character knows his actual life story.

And to add on to that, there's no way of looking up that past either—he had no name or personhood before he was effectively rescued, so who could investigators or reporters or archivists track down for information? The human being that was Legato only existed for as long as he knew Knives, before that he was something to be kept and abused as an object. There's presumably no surviving family they can reliably contact, nobody to really say "yes I knew him, here's what his life was like, here's how we can prevent something like this from happening again".

His entire existence will be reduced down to "a human weapon that was freakishly loyal to public enemy #1" without any reflection on the mechanisms that made him the way he was because there's just no actual knowledge of his life.

[peridots-pixiwolf]

[Start ID. A three-circle venn diagram with Gabriel from Ultrakill, the Lonely Wizard from Inscryption, and the Hollow Knight from the game of the same name. Between Gabriel and Lonely is the text "guys will see a character with vague biology, say 'is anyone gonna buggify that' and not wait for an answer". Between Lonely and Hollow is the text "void beings placed in solitary confinement by a superior they admired with the intention of keeping them there forever". Between Hollow and Gabriel is the text "existed only to be a tool for their god. just wants to be perfect. never allowed to be a person". In the center between all three is just the word "trauma". End ID

having Thoughts

[puppyeared]

Tell me about a song you like right now, maybe an animation you just watched that made you think thoughts and feel things

Only Acting by Kero Kero Bonito!! I want to make an animatic for Macaque using this song and some parts of Shadow Play and the s4 special.. although im still mapping it and deciding whether I want to use the radio edit or not lol

[stewyhosseini-bf]

what does it all mean