Ithaqua pet peeves #2, do not skip the disclaimer I beg.
⚠️ It is rather impossible for me to voice this without someone getting the wrong idea, because this fandom isn’t exactly famous for having good comprehension and being rather reactionary to most things, so I shall be frank; I am speaking as someone who almost strictly adheres to Ithaqua's canon characterization (simply because, that is what i find most interesting) and analyze what is implied in the text or shown through other means such as cosmetics which are designed to be allegorical. Naturally, I am bound to have certain gripes regarding his fanon characterization that i want to rant about or critique in a more objective manner, especially when it comes to how he is depicted in relationships. It is not an attempt to, demean, any personal interpretation or preferences one might have, that is simply out of this equation. Note that my musings are in fact, my musings, written for me to analyze my own thought process so really don’t take it personally. I also understand it is just the nature of things for characters in ships to, be trope-y, doesn’t mean i am particularly fond of it nor do i need a lecture on that. If you arrive at this point and find that I, or what I am about to do to be annoying, then do us both a favor and don’t ragebait yourself by reading, thanks. ⚠️
Ithaqua is a very versatile individual who adapts his behavior from person to person, it is evident when you consider the fact that he tends to weaponize a certain image or perception of him for his own gain (his greatest example is Morningstar) and how it is a very prominent theme within his story. Because this is a fundamental part of his writing when it comes to how he proceeds with social interaction, the application to romance or intimacy, I think, should not be any different. I possess a certain level of aversion for when Ithaqua is portrayed as shy, jittery, overly flustered, or even necessarily the "submissive" one in a relationship so, so often because it disregards the core traits of his characterization and the nuances within it. It is highly dependent on who he is with and the situation at hand, like say, it is relative to what others find to be pleasing or not, which can either take form of a "dominant" or "submissive” role, put simply he operates in service of what works, and he will then make sure it happens.
He is shown both directly and Indirectly, to be someone who is 1. Confident in himself and others, and 2. Highly reciprocative (see: Character Day letters 1&2, he is described as cunning which is an example of explicit characterization via a narrator. An example of his implicit characterization can be seen with how he is comfortable to speak his mind and does what he thinks is right which shows he is, again, confident in himself. Then there's Spring Night Finale, liiterally just read any of his interactions). Thus there is no basis for him being a bashful character when he is more than eager to give back, which you can see this with his tendencies to play games or bets, where he may see fit to rig according to what benefits him most (I also must emphasize that his definition of "beneficial" also shifts, but it is certainly always relative to someone's happiness, entertainment, general well being, or even what benefits both of their physical or mental needs in a more pragmatic sense).
This is not to say he cannot be flustered, he can and he certainly has been, but the way in which this is portrayed in any instance of this, where he gets caught off guard, if he becomes confused or angry, or even doubtful, he always tends to bounce back almost instantaneously because he doesn't fancy pondering on what weighs him down, simply because he thinks there’s no use doing that (“No matter how little, a win is a win. Don’t try to weasel out,” from Spring Night Finale, this line of his is a very good summary of his general mindset). He can be very obedient in the same way he is capable of being very bold (or even somewhat cocky/overtly self assured) to others and that's something important to me because, if anything, it further emphasizes how much he wants to fulfill the role of caretaker/entertainer/giver in whichever form that suits his situation best. Because what makes someone (he cares for) happy will make everything else in life feel meaningless in comparison.
Argue amongst yourselves if you think he is top or bottom or, what have you, I genuinely am just here to give a overly detailed rant about my favorite pixel. But, that is indeed his his core characterization, one that he never once stopped adhering to (and i firmly appreciate Netease’s rare display of consistency).
I think, it would make it easier to understand this aspect of him, why he is able to be so adaptable and sociable, if you go back to the fact that he believes love and devotion is something inherently flawed (see: Voiceless Rift) and that bonds of any kind is to be honored (see: Behold The Vilulf), so he must be proactive because the one mistake he can make in his mind would be to not adapt or reciprocate at all. It should also be helpful to understand that he is quite a secure individual who views himself in no particular light or feels very neutral about himself, because yes his upbringing while not totally perfect is rather healthy, supportive, and carefree but also because that in itself is a flaw, written to be a very pivotal point in his character arc because is the fact that he lacks any will for his own personal growth, you never truly see him reflect on his own issues because when he does pour his heart out (mostly to himself) it’s used more so as a way to reaffirm that he can and will persevere through anything. Said healthy upbringing contributed into shaping his naivety because the scope of his understanding of the world is very insular by virtue of being secluded from the rest of society. His true insecurities (if you really want to call it that, i feel it is more of a fear but it’s hard to tell without more material to work with) comes if he fails to do something, and even then that fear takes a *physical* proof of failure to truly set in to that thick skull of his, because otherwise he believes he can still work through it the same exact way he works through any conflict he has in the past. This has a lot to do with the fact that Eta’s character arc is about the inability to mature and truly become his own person but i think i’ll save that for a separate post.
So you see, all I’m trying to say is, i think Eta’s confidence and down to earth nature seriously gets overlooked or exaggerated because when i say he’s very normal about a lot of things i do mean like, he is very grounded about a lot of things in his life. It’s the same reason why the idea of Eta hating or blaming himself for the tragedy that ensued never sat right with me because when you look at this more deeply he is blatantly aware that was 100% not his fault and he is also aware he is 100% unable to help Lagertha be, sane, again despite how much anguish he has and how much he struggles coping with it. Which is why he opts to take preventive measures instead in becoming Ithaqua (this is showcased very well with Overseer. The whole plot revolves around his choice to delay an inevitable calamity, not because he thinks he can save the world but because to not do anything, would be his biggest regret. This is cemented with how the entire COA 8 cast is represented by Sisyphus).
The utter frustration i have when i am reminded this hell babies Eta and the myriad of instances of him being portrayed like a fragile rodent all because of the horribly simple logic of "guy in the woods = doesn't know anything!" When Eta’s social awkwardness lies in, get this, him being overly self assured of himself. I don’t know about you, but that’s exactly why i think he’s a charming character. Is he inexperienced? Oh absolutely, but he is canonically a fast learner who can adapt to a situation in real time with little to no problems. His intelligence, awareness, and quick wit is arguably one of his biggest strengths. He is naive but he really isn't, unknowing, his mother is arguably THE knower (especially for their time period). I bet my kidney he would know things you would think he doesn't know.
This really has been a long winded way to say i dislike Eta constantly being made out to be some blushing anime girl. He is such a fun loving guy who can and will do anything that interests him or he’s able to physically experience, canonically can converse to you on just about anything, and way before this he was already shown to be be firm to his beliefs and values and will stand to act by it, its truly hard for me to perceive him as someone other than that when he’s written considerably well.
