Rhyme

Juste une pensée / Just a thought

[llycaons]

they're treating a complex and inherently corrupt system of power like a optimizable shonen power set in the fyp

[ascendedrhyme]

Understanding MDZS is accepting that the story is mean to be a tragedy not because of a few bad guys but because the cultivation society whould have never allow a good ending for anyone with decent moral values.

[ascendedrhyme]

Shower thought :

if WWX were to reach immortality through his path of cultivation (not sure if that’s even possible, since it doesn’t depend on a golden core, but this is purely hypothetical), and LWJ were not able to do so through his own, what do you think they would do?

Would WWX choose to die with LWJ, or maybe he would transform the latter into his Fierce Corpse so they could stay together? I can honestly see both possibilities happening.

[ascendedrhyme]

Is there an AU fic where Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan rise to prominence during Wei Wuxian’s time at the Burial Mounds?

Xiao Xingchen meets his martial nephew and empathizes with the injustice suffered by the Wen remnants, becoming an ally alongside Song Lan. Together, they form a new sect, and Lan Wangji leaves the Lan Clan to join them.

Just imagine Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji, Xiao Xingchen, Song Lan, Wen Qing, and Wen Ning together, who could stop them? (Also the group dynamic is to die for)

Or maybe it’s just wishful thinking, because clan power is too strong, and they would want them crushed anyway for threatening their status…

I’m too depressed right now to write it myself, but I really feel like this timeline should exist somewhere.

[sleepy-salami]

the proprietress who got tired of watching wei wuxian play 5D mental chess against himself and lose for several minutes and decided to sail this ship herself is the unsung hero of mdzs

[ascendedrhyme]

The first banishment flashback has to be the hardest thing I’ve read in a long time. I can’t even force myself to get through it quickly.

Seeing Xie Lian’s slow but unavoidable descent hurts so much that I need to pause my reading just to breathe. I’m miles away from the laughter the beginning of Volume 6 gave me.

Even knowing it’s only temporary, I almost want to put the book down because of how much it hurts right now 😭😭😭😭

[ascendedrhyme]

My Rafayel Timeline

Tentative Rafayel Timelines

Forgotten Sea Myth / Released the 3 April 2024 Point of Interest : Probably Rafayel’s most important myth from a pure lore standpoint. L

As always, when I get too deep into a fandom, I end up making a Google Doc. I couldn’t find any material about Rafayel’s story order, so I had to do it myself.

Given the nature of the lads’ story, there’s more than one way to make it fit together, so this is my interpretation.

I welcome feedback, but at the end of the day I’ll keep it in a way that feels right to me. I encourage you to make your own judgement as well.

Anyway, I hope it helps someone at some point.

[fruitier-loops]

this is what katniss everdeen looks like to me btw ❤️

[ikebanaka]

I love how immediately Gaoshun has to tell Maomao to stop treating Jinshi like a bug because he's being an absolute freak about it. He's like hey, I know we only met a week ago, but you've already given my insane boss a sexual complex and for all of our sakes you should probably try to avoid activating it

[ascendedrhyme]

Just finished romancing Thanatos and Meg in Hades, and I need to put my thoughts down.

What interests me about both relationships is how they tackle different aspects of Zagreus.

You first encounter Megaera as a boss, furious at Zagreus' actions. Their conflict is clear: she is a dutiful character, while Zagreus is throwing away duty for his personal vendetta. Much of the early game, Meg is angry—either at Zagreus for his betrayal or at herself for failing to stop him in Tartarus. Later, we learn that Zagreus and Meg were once together but broke up on bad terms—his fault. This is interesting because, even before attempting to escape, Zagreus was rebellious, yet he was involved with the most loyal character in the game's cast.

As the story progresses, Meg and Zagreus slowly mend their relationship, with the biggest turning point being Persephone’s return. Once Zagreus officially stays and begins working to improve the Underworld—embracing duty—Meg begins to lower her defenses. Their relationship is deeply tied to duty; the fact that they were together before Zagreus’ escape suggests that, deep down, he never truly saw his place anywhere but in the House of Hades. Mending his relationship with Meg is, in a way, him accepting his role and responsibilities once more.

Then there's Thanatos, who enters the story much later—only appearing once you reach Elysium. His introduction is far more complex than Meg’s. He’s angry at Zagreus—not like megara for abandoning his duty but for leaving without even telling him, with thanatos the betrayal is not ideological its personal. Yet, despite his frustration, he is nothing but supportive. He fights alongside him, plays a game with him, grants him extra life if we win. Even his keepsake mechanic revolves around protecting Zag.

Like Meg, Thanatos is dutiful, but his loyalty isn’t as singular. He respects Hades, but just as much, he respects Nyx. And while he won’t say it outright, he sides with Zagreus in his journey. Once Persephone returns and Zagreus makes it clear he isn’t leaving the Underworld, Thanatos quickly lets go of his bitterness, allowing the player to freely romance him.

At first, it seems like a simple friends-to-lovers arc. But then Achilles mentions something interesting: Zagreus is the god of blood and life. He writes this at the end of Thanatos' codex entry, believing their relationship is bound by their very natures—death always chasing life.

Zagreus rejects this idea. As far as he’s concerned, he is the god of nothing—simply an unwanted prince of the Underworld. His reaction isn’t just because of years of being belittled by his father; narratively it’s because, at the start of his journey, he has no identity of his own. He is Hades’ son, but his father lied to him. He is a prince, but he fulfills no duty. His mother isn’t actually his mother, and his real mother is somewhere out there. Even most of his relationships are defined by the status he ran away from.

His relationship with Thanatos, isn't about him being prince—if that were the case, Thanatos, as Hades' vassal, would have tried to bring him back. Actually, they rarely speak of Zagreus status or even Hades together. Instead, their relationship highlights Zagreus as an individual. Just as Zagreus was always the god of blood but never realized it until he left, he only recognizes his feelings for Thanatos after stepping away.

By the time you've fully bonded with both Meg and Thanatos, Zagreus has reconciled both parts of himself—his identity as the Prince of the Underworld, with the duty that entails, and his identity as the god of blood, which was always a part of him. He needs both; neither is more important than the other. By the end of the game, he lives for the well-being of the people of his house while also finding peace in his newfound understanding of himself.

And then there’s Dusa. I think this is why she isn’t a romantic love interest for Zagreus in the end. Their relationship is tied not to identity, but to the home they share. Dusa loves Zagreus because he makes the House feel warmer, kinder. Zagreus loves her because she transforms the place he once found cold and unwelcoming into something he can actually call home. You can’t even max out her bond without going out of your way to make the lounge—the heart of the House—warm, clean, and beautiful.

I just thought that was neat.

[ascendedrhyme]

So, now that I’ve realized how important romance was to Zagreus’ character in the first game, I can’t help but wonder how that aspect will play out for Melinoë in Hades II.

(Quick disclaimer: I haven’t played the early access myself—this is mostly based on what I’ve gathered from watching gameplay clips and reading discussion threads.)

Here are the characters I’ve seen people talk about as potential romance options: Némesis, Moros, Icarus, Eris, and Arachne.

What could it all mean?

Némesis and Moros give me a vibe similar to Thanatos from the first game. In mythology, Melinoë is a goddess associated with ghosts and nightmares. Everyone’s heard of vengeful spirits and prophetic dreams, right? I can definitely see her helping the dead seek retribution or delivering omens of Doom through nightmares. Her connection to both death and the surface makes her connection to these two characters interesting: they’re chthonic gods, but with roles that reach beyond the Underworld.

Unlike Zagreus, whose arc was about returning to and embracing the House of Hades, Melinoë’s role might naturally lead her away from it. She could be the only one in the family whose divine duty pushes her toward the surface. So, while Zagreus fell for people tied to the House—showing where he belongs—Melinoë falling for gods who walk both the Underworld and the surface might be a metaphor for her own path.

Icarus is a more complicated case. He’s the one who gave her the ghost arm, right? That might link directly to her identity as a goddess of ghosts. She has a closeness to Shades that even her family doesn’t seem to share. There’s also something interesting about how Icarus' original myth is a warning against trying to reach the realm of gods. So a goddess falling for him could be a powerful reversal of that message—especially since Hades II is critiquing the tyranny of the Olympians and how they treat mortals.

Eris, on the other hand, seems like she’s set up as a clear ideological foil to Melinoë—kind of like Megaera was to Zagreus. One is dutiful, the other rebellious. It’s likely that Melinoë will need to question her responsibilities and grow beyond the role she was given. Conflict with Eris could be part of that journey. Strife, in its most positive form, can be a force for growth. So maybe romance with Iris wouldn’t be about comfort, but about challenge—embracing chaos, change, and everything in between.

Arachne is the most mysterious to me. Is she even alive? Not sure. But like Icarus, her story in mythology is a clear case of tension between mortals and gods. That theme seems to be a big one in *Hades II*, so maybe her bond with Melinoë reflects those ideas too. Beyond that, I can’t say much with what I currently know.

Now what your take? How does those romance will explore Melinoe journey?

[ascendedrhyme]

Just finished romancing Thanatos and Meg in Hades, and I need to put my thoughts down.

What interests me about both relationships is how they tackle different aspects of Zagreus.

You first encounter Megaera as a boss, furious at Zagreus' actions. Their conflict is clear: she is a dutiful character, while Zagreus is throwing away duty for his personal vendetta. Much of the early game, Meg is angry—either at Zagreus for his betrayal or at herself for failing to stop him in Tartarus. Later, we learn that Zagreus and Meg were once together but broke up on bad terms—his fault. This is interesting because, even before attempting to escape, Zagreus was rebellious, yet he was involved with the most loyal character in the game's cast.

As the story progresses, Meg and Zagreus slowly mend their relationship, with the biggest turning point being Persephone’s return. Once Zagreus officially stays and begins working to improve the Underworld—embracing duty—Meg begins to lower her defenses. Their relationship is deeply tied to duty; the fact that they were together before Zagreus’ escape suggests that, deep down, he never truly saw his place anywhere but in the House of Hades. Mending his relationship with Meg is, in a way, him accepting his role and responsibilities once more.

Then there's Thanatos, who enters the story much later—only appearing once you reach Elysium. His introduction is far more complex than Meg’s. He’s angry at Zagreus—not like megara for abandoning his duty but for leaving without even telling him, with thanatos the betrayal is not ideological its personal. Yet, despite his frustration, he is nothing but supportive. He fights alongside him, plays a game with him, grants him extra life if we win. Even his keepsake mechanic revolves around protecting Zag.

Like Meg, Thanatos is dutiful, but his loyalty isn’t as singular. He respects Hades, but just as much, he respects Nyx. And while he won’t say it outright, he sides with Zagreus in his journey. Once Persephone returns and Zagreus makes it clear he isn’t leaving the Underworld, Thanatos quickly lets go of his bitterness, allowing the player to freely romance him.

At first, it seems like a simple friends-to-lovers arc. But then Achilles mentions something interesting: Zagreus is the god of blood and life. He writes this at the end of Thanatos' codex entry, believing their relationship is bound by their very natures—death always chasing life.

Zagreus rejects this idea. As far as he’s concerned, he is the god of nothing—simply an unwanted prince of the Underworld. His reaction isn’t just because of years of being belittled by his father; narratively it’s because, at the start of his journey, he has no identity of his own. He is Hades’ son, but his father lied to him. He is a prince, but he fulfills no duty. His mother isn’t actually his mother, and his real mother is somewhere out there. Even most of his relationships are defined by the status he ran away from.

His relationship with Thanatos, isn't about him being prince—if that were the case, Thanatos, as Hades' vassal, would have tried to bring him back. Actually, they rarely speak of Zagreus status or even Hades together. Instead, their relationship highlights Zagreus as an individual. Just as Zagreus was always the god of blood but never realized it until he left, he only recognizes his feelings for Thanatos after stepping away.

By the time you've fully bonded with both Meg and Thanatos, Zagreus has reconciled both parts of himself—his identity as the Prince of the Underworld, with the duty that entails, and his identity as the god of blood, which was always a part of him. He needs both; neither is more important than the other. By the end of the game, he lives for the well-being of the people of his house while also finding peace in his newfound understanding of himself.

And then there’s Dusa. I think this is why she isn’t a romantic love interest for Zagreus in the end. Their relationship is tied not to identity, but to the home they share. Dusa loves Zagreus because he makes the House feel warmer, kinder. Zagreus loves her because she transforms the place he once found cold and unwelcoming into something he can actually call home. You can’t even max out her bond without going out of your way to make the lounge—the heart of the House—warm, clean, and beautiful.

I just thought that was neat.

[ascendedrhyme]

I can't imagine Hades II ending without Zagreus as an NPC to bond with. The potential for interaction between him and Melinoë is through the roof.

Imagine—Melinoë, who has only meet Hades so far, suddenly meets this small version of him, except he's pure chaos. Unlike everyone else in her life, he babies her, refuses to rely on her, and instead worries about her emotional state. The sheer confusion that would bring!

Also, he’s totally going to be besties with Eris, fully embracing her destructive tendencies and even enjoying fighting with her. And since he’s the adoptive son of Nyx—and (please let this be canon) in a relationship with Thanatos—Eris would absolutely call him "Big Bro," much to Melinoe endless irritation.

There’s just too much potential here!

[ascendedrhyme]

One thing I love about Hades II is that, while it's made clear that the gods of Olympus absolutely had it coming with Chronos' attack, that doesn’t change the fact that Chronos himself is a complete piece of shit.

The first thing he did was attack the entire House of Hades—most of whom he had never even met—just to get back at his jailor son. When he was jailed in the first place because he ate him and several of his other children. So that’s just revenge on revenge.

Also the fact is that, by both myth and game lore, Hades is a "good" god who was simply doing his job. Any injustices that happened under his rule were things Zagreus spent the whole first game fixing.

The House of Hades was basically the best the current gods had to offer—mostly hardworking, well-meaning people—and since Zagreus, actively trying to make things better for everyone.

By targeting them first, Chronos loses any moral high ground he might have had. This guy totally deserves to be cut back into pieces once Melinoë and the other gods get their much-needed wake-up call on the principles of morality.

No mercy for baby eaters.

[ascendedrhyme]

Interest check!

I'm currently working on a Wakfu AU where Yugo and Adamai grow up together among their people. In this version, the Eliatropes aren't extinct, but they are isolationist. The story reimagines the events of Wakfu in this new context, which means a lot of things will change. It's going to be a slow burn.

Right now, I'm writing it in French and have already released the first chapter. Would anyone be interested in the concept but won't read it because of the language barrier? If there's enough interest, I'll translate the whole thing—but since the French version is enough for me, I’d need some motivation to take on the extra work!

Let me know!

[ascendedrhyme]

There is something surprisingly moving about Ecaflip—the god of luck and gambling, ruler of the casino town in the World of Twelve—who goes out of his way to teach his favorite son that gambling is wrong and will only destroy his life.

The god litteraly created the culture that made his son fall into the trap of gambling, he granted Kerubim his luck—a blessing that would render Kerubim unbeatable without his express intervention.

Yet, he still made him face the consequences of a gambling addiction, essentially telling him, “You’re better than this,” before sending him on his merry way as a better man than before.

He even returned Kerubim’s lucky dice to show that he remains with him.

Why, Ecaflip? You are a terrible father. You literally rank your children by how much you favor them, granting your favorite privileges above the others. How can you be a good dad here?

[con195]

I just saw the wakfu episode where yugo fought qilby and both of them summoned wakfu weapons so I'm gonna talk about them and make up symbolism that probably isn't true:

First is qilby, who summoned a scythe:

A scythe is normally a tool, not actually a weapon, which reminds me about the fact that qilby is really a nerd not a warrior but that's probably me reading into it too much.

An actually plausible symbolism is the grim reapers scythe, many people consider the scythe intimidating because of it's association with death, but really the grim reaper is the embodiment of death, a necessary process, regardless of it's unpleasantness, and that's also how qilby sees himself with his goals.

Then there's yugo with his sword and shield, the basic warrior weapons because, unlike qilby, yugo's not a nerd:

Beyond just what they are, yugo's symbolism seems to be more in the details, his shield is much more detailed, it has a clear shape and even a pattern on it, which is a pretty big contrast when his sword is basically just a pointy, blue stick, I would say this is probably symbolic of his priority being protecting people, not fighting.

[ascendedrhyme]

In the manga, Qilby is said to have a talent for horticulture, so the scythe was probably his work tool before becoming his weapon.

In one of the special episodes, we see that Chibi uses a hammer, and he is described as an engineer. Once again his tool of trade.

Nora has swords, but she was originally a joy-bringer turned warrior, so she may not have had any weapons until she needed to fight.

Yugo was probably the only true fighter among the first six Eliatropes, which explains his more battle-practical gear.

It's actually a cool design element for them.

[geekgirles]

Chapter 19 really highlights the tragedy of Yugo's character.

Despite all the good he's done, how altruistic he is, how strict his morals are, most Twelvians will only accept him and his people whenever they need to be saved. The rest of the time they're outsiders or, worse, threats. It's reached a point where the poor man has grown tired of adventuring and all he really wants is to settle down and live a normal life with the love of his life, to start a family, yet there's no guarantee that will come to pass because there are people who're still wary of him and wish him harm. Not to mention the series of events that will result in the Great Wave.

Between his nature as a demigod slowing his ageing and the Twelvians' mistrust, Yugo is constantly being denied of a normal, happy life.

And I seriously wonder, how is this fair? How is it fair that Tristepin and Eva get to live happily and oblivious from all of it, tucked away in some remote corner of the world with their growing family, while their friends are constantly facing world-ending threats?

I get they aren't royalty, but Tristepin is a god. One that rejected his powers and responsibilities because being mortal was much more fun. How come no one's come knocking and demanding he abandons his family and returns to his rightful place in Inglorium? How is it that Yugo and his people are constantly being blamed for everything that goes wrong in the world, and Eliatrope's punishment consisted of millennia of torture, but Tristepin/Iop gets to be happy?

Yugo's a tragic character if I ever saw one.

[ascendedrhyme]

Real.

Yugo is basically the hero of the Wakfu era, just like Goultard was to the primitive/Dofus era. But the world accepted neither of them, only seeing the bad they did and never the good. That’s why Goultard started off lonely, stuck in the desert, only showing up when Dally came around. And even then, it took four seasons for the Percival family to push him to break free from his isolation.

Speaking of which, since Iop was a piece of shit before becoming mortal, if they really wanted to give the Percival family some angst, they could’ve started by explaining the whole Lacrima situation—especially with the wife being raised in the Sadida Kingdom. Reincarnation dealing with previous incarnation bullshit is never a bad plot point. It could’ve even been a great way to push a Zobal character into the story.

But in the end, the writers chose to write Yugo’s story as a tragedy and Percival’s as a comedy. That’s so unfair. It breaks my heart. I can’t even find the moral in this, but it is what it is.

[ascendedrhyme]

Looking back, I think Season 3’s biggest mistake was not making it the Yumalia season. We already got a secondary love interest in the OVA, so there was really no need to do it again in Season 3. After Harbourg, it was the perfect moment to make Amalia shine like the queen she is and tell Yugo that she didn’t care if he stayed a child for the rest of her life. That, yeah, they might never be the couple she once dreamed of, nor even a "normal" one, but they could still be lifelong companions—at least for her. That being with anyone else wouldn’t make her as happy as he does.

They wouldn’t have even needed to kiss—a forehead kiss would have been enough. Platonic romance is a thing!

With her father dying, it would have been the perfect time to revisit the trauma of her mother’s early death, shattering her idea of a perfect family.

Also, let her refuse Oropo’s advances! Let her say from the get-go: "As tempting as this perfect vision of him is, we grew up imperfect together, and I wish to age imperfectly with him."

On Yugo's side of things, it whould play in his supposed character arc (or I belive it was supposed, the execusion was too messy to be sure) about the trials of his unaging body. He would have experienced a mix of inadequacy, longing, and frustration over what he truly desires.

Fearful of ruining Amalia's life, he would be unable to accept her love. At the same time, he would watch his brotherly bond with Adamaï being stolen by Oropo, feeling powerless as Oropo nearly takes everything he holds dear. And yet, in the end, when he's at his lowest, feeling completely alienated from those he loves, Amalia, Adamaï, and the entire Brotherhood would pull him up with a simple, heartfelt truth:

"Shut up. We want you."

Seriously, the missed opportunity is killing me. It’s been years since the OVA—both in canon and in real life—so how could they keep the exact same dynamic between them?!

And it wouldn’t have even changed Season 4. They would have been the best supportive couple, and then when Yugo came back grown-up, she could have said, "It should be a dream, but somehow, I can’t be happy knowing it was born from a nightmare." Having them trauma-bond for just ten seconds would have done wonders for the ship!