#rastha

[gatomisio]

I saw a painting somewhere and thought of Rastha with Glorym, so a version with both faces (I can't paint even with references)

[violetlunette]

Right, so I’m going to say something that will probably get me some flack but—I think Heinry’s worse than Rashta.

Notes:

*Anti-Heinry

*Slight defense—very slight—of Rashta

*Anti-Ergi

TRIGGER WARNING:

*Mentions of rape

Don’t misunderstand; Rashta did horrible things, and she wrecked a lot of people’s lives. While I sympathize with her, I will never deny that she earned her villain status. However, all her actions were done out of desperation and ignorance.

At the start, Rasta had no idea what her presence would mean to Navier. She just thought the Emperor brought her into the family and that they would share him. And how would she? She was a slave isolated from the world and abused in every way by her owners. (And yet are portrayed as more sympathetic than her, but I digress.) On top of that, in their country, it wasn't uncommon for a kind to take a mistress. How would Rashta have known she was basically a homewrecker?

And then, it was only when others began manipulating her and Navier's brother tried to abort her child, that Rashta purposely lashed out at others to protect herself.

As the story went on, she was abused mentally and emotionally by everyone around her and gaslighted. She only believed one person was on her side, but he was the one behind all her pain and more. (Fuck you Ergi! I hope he gets stabbed with a yeevil fork and tossed out with the rest of the shit.)

I’m not saying she shouldn’t have been accountable, as she should have and was. And Navier's attitude towards her was justified. 

However, Heinry pulled a lot of shit as well, but unlike Rashta, he not only didn’t need to, but he knew better.

The western kingdom was not under threat from the Eastern empire, nor was his kingdom in need of anything. Heinry was just greedy. He was even going to take Navier as a political prisoner to make her fall in love with him through Stockholm. The only reason he didn’t is because of the divorce and Navier proposing marriage to him.

Then there’s his actions towards Krista. 

While not an innocent bird, I don’t think she crossed a moral line that earned her final fate. If I recall right, the worst she did was let a rumor spread. She didn’t even try to take advantage of Heinry when he was under the love potion and passed out on her lap. Yet, he forced her into suicide and had her remaining family spit on her memory. (Good job looking after your brother’s widowed wife, bird shit.)

And when you think about it, Heinry’s partly responsible for everything Rashta has done as he manipulated her through Ergi. Don’t get me wrong, Ergi’s actions are his own, but Heinry is the one who gave him the orders and helped. True, the former would have done what he did without the latter, but Heinry was the one to put him in the position to do so.

And on top of he spent a decade participating in rape by tricking girls into sleeping with him. (What they did is called buddy swap. Look it up yourself for details.)

And again, unlike Rashta, Heinry, a royal Prince raised with a royal education and more, knew better. He knew his actions were harmful and selfish but did it anyway for greed. And, again, there was no need for his actions. The Western kingdom was flourishing and under no threat from any other nation. They were said to be equal in power to the Empire, they just didn't have the name for--reasons.

Heinry wasn’t in a desperate situation where he was worried he would lose everything if he didn’t act, unlike Rashta. Worse, being a man of the world and not a slave, Heinry was well aware of the ramifications of his choices and that people would be hurt. Yet, despite all he did and unlike Rashta, he was never held accountable for anything. Why? Because he's the male lead, who's close to Navier. They get away with everything.

To sum it all up;

While Rashta's crimes were bad, they were done out of ignorance, manipulation of several parties, and desperation. She had no idea what else to do other than what she did, and her choices were limited due to her gender, status, and knowledge.

Heinry’s actions were out of selfishness, greed, and of his own free will. No one pushed him to do anything, he CHOSE to even though he didn’t have to and had several options before him. Had he stayed his hand, he wouldn’t have lost anything. And again, through Ergi, he manipulated Rashta, so Heinrey has a hand in her crimes, as well.

He had choices and several options, and he chose the ones that hurt others. Yet was never held accountable for any of it and was even rewarded for being a terrible person. 

And that’s why I find him worse than Rashta.

[shizukateal]

In a sense, I could sum up the conflict of the 3 main characters in The Remarried Empress by conceptualizing the way they see the situation as games:

Navier plays chess. She plays the long game well and sees everyone as different pieces with unique ways of moving, and while she's not always 100% right about their characters or motivations she usually at least tests anyone she plans to make a move on to see how they might act. She comes out on top of this whole conflict because she is the most flexible in her thinking. (And also, you know. A generally good person who is good at amassing allies)

Rashta thinks the game is checkers. It doesn't work out well for her. She divides everyone in allies and enemies who can only move/react in one way and her every move is a desperate grab for "enemy" pieces and getting into enemy territory, thinking that becoming a crowned piece with more mobility will keep her safe, but she moves so recklessly that she ends up completely cornered.

And Sovieshu, being an idiot, keeps trying to play the game as it was fucking placing dominoes. And he does it badly at that. He sees himself as some sort of (somehow self-righteously benign) Machiavellian mastermind, placing the pieces where they would fall into the carefully-laid pattern of his ideal outcome, manipulating everyone from the detached comfort of his position of power, but a) he has none of the cold, calculating patience that would require pulling off what he wants so he ends up kicking his own designs because of his short temperament, and b) he is a terrible judge of character who has no understanding of the nature of his "pieces" nor does he seem to realize that they can move, at all. He stalls, letting the fire kindle thinking that when it spirals out it will take away his problems in one big burst, but naturally, as is befitting of him, he ends up burning himself.

[adrianasunderworld]

How i wish Sovieshus mom was still around, or that he had a sister or something. Someone who can speak to him freely with little to no consequences. So that whenever he was all, "I dont understand what Navier has against Rastha." They can just flat out tell him,

"Gee I dont know. What woman wouldn't be thrilled at some stranger coming into her home and fucking her husband?"

[sellyworks]

So about freaking Sovieshu.

Spoilers ahead fair warning ////////

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He and many other's were so quick to believe Navier was infertile.

When I'm pretty damn sure he's the on that can't have children.

And oh , look Rastha is pregnant! No bitch that baby ain't yours.

Its obvious she had some canoodling before all this -- I just don't believe that baby she Carrie's is his and it'll be nothing but a bastard.

And like his plan to marry rastha and then leave her after a year just to take back Navier is so..fucking dumb that is just not how shit works even if he is the emperor! He needs permission by the high priest!

And [ SPOILERS] the high priest above of navier's remarriage and she ends up pregnant too.

So SUCK IT ! And I have reason to be Rastha isn't going to be that good of an empress anyway , she has no knowledge on how to diplomatic shit.

She can try and probably fail.

I love to hate Rashta though, good character writing right there and I do understand that she was a slave that wants to make a better living for herself and child.

I respect that she was able to fool all these people to get where she is now.

Still fucking hate her though..she's pretty though I give her that 😤

Anyways.

I just want the novel to update so we an get around to the wedding's and the pregnancy announcement so Sovieshu can feel like shit.

[garayaka]

OK this was a genuine joke. so my best friend who lives in ‘Mattakkuliya’, a city in Colombo, Sri lanka, which is written in sinhala above, so, i took him as a base and drew this, so the joke wuz to draw him in ‘rastha’ which makes it look pretty badass with my new style and... viola! u have this:/ came out a masterpiece:)

[gatomisio]

NDAWDWA, a drawing I left unfinished of an alternate AU where Rastha is a little less impulsive and doesn't die, but remains an empress, so Glorym didn't end up in that horrible ending as Lari's knight (sorry, I never liked that girl), so she would end up as Glorym x Kai.

The AU would be a repeat of history, albeit a slightly different one. Glorym never becomes empress because Rastha ends up having a child with Sovieshu, she ends up marrying a high-ranking noble, even though it was never for love, and has a child. She's "happy" because she has stability and security as the daughter of the emperor, already being the mother of a child and with a husband who isn't a bad person.

Until Kai shows up. At first, she ignores him for obvious reasons, but sooner or later they become lovers without a happy ending.

[rastharex]

my gal closet <3

A lot of people have been asking me for recommendations lately! So here's a list of all the sits I like to learn from, buy from, or just read when it comes to fashion and makeup.

Disclaimer: I personally take inspiration from both Gothic, Gyaru, and also just thrift and make it up a lot as I go. So I'll probably add my own tips in the future if it's requested;

Im also based in the states. So a lot of the sites I use are based here <3

Brands:

Mercari, Depop, Ebay, and HelloAngelGirl are good ones.

Dereon by Beyoncé; not a thing anymore. But definitely gyaru in nature. A lot of gyaru subcultures take influence from black culture, and Beyoncé has been featured in several gyaru magazines over the years. If you need inspo, Beyoncé is a good person to look up.

Victoria's Secret; enough said...it's gorgeous.

Other places like Francensca (before they close), Pink, and Bodyline are good too.

Really good blogs:

Gyaru for Beginners: How to Get Started - Hello Lizzie Bee

A brief guide on how to be gyaru for beginners! I've also included a downloadable checklist at the end for you to tick off as you go on your

Soul sister volume 9 (01.2013) magazine talk

My breakdown of Soul sister volume 9 including scans and tutorials from it.

All very nice people, with amazing blogs <3

(I'll make a separate post for makeup)