shiixksu's Topics (7)

It really does make sense why he killed Richelle's mother now, seeing the parallels with Edgar. In a way, perhaps Rose had hoped when offering to leave with Richelle that she would be the version of Edgar that had enough self-respect within her own kindness to not be shackled by her own mother and choose him?
Then again, because of his own uncertainly and contempt towards people like Richelle's mother, he would've thought that it would be better to just simply get rid of her if it caused her so much pain.
It's honestly really sad that the conversation Richelle had with Rose had caused her to take one more chance with her mother without Rose's own knowledge. For how much he performs being human, he was never able to grasp the effect of his own words beyond his own interpretation, nor the nature of humanly bonds. Yet inversely, his own love for Edgar was just as enduring as those of the abusive bonds between narcissist and victim, something that he could probably never face the comparison of.

I don't really see Rose as redeemable or unredeemable; his story is just simply really sad. In his own way, he attempted to offer as great of a mercy as he could to Edgar while he was still alive, letting him make the own choice for freedom or death. But Rose isn't human. Rose doesn't understand the years of conditioning and abuse Edgar faced, nor the value of familial bonds to a human, so it's only right he believed that this was who Edgar was, the same way Neil was who he was. And so he continued to repeat this same mistake with every generation of Otis; Rose doesn't believe that humans can change. All that he saw was people more similar to Edgar, and people who were different. His small worldview layered in generations and generations of torture and revenge, not for the sake of Edgar, but because he believes that Otis itself, with the exception of the echoes left of Edgar, are undoubtedly terrible people.

All this just to say I was shocked there was doomed yaoi and I do like Rose's character even if he was objectively a piece of shit (bad taste forgive me chat)

Ts was such a good read omg prob the best avoidant attachment rep ive ever seen bc of how well articulated and complex his actions were ... at some points it really almost felt like MC was speaking for me with his words and actions, which is honestly so rare to come by because a lot of it fell outside of what someone would 'expect' avoidant attachments to look like.
Also, I LOVE that MC could be viewed as a cold manipulative bastard if you took away all the internal monologue bc it's quite a bit healing to see someone like that being valued hehe

Yall are veeeery jolly about them being gay here but I'm here to tell you that this scene was written waaaay more terrifying and unforgiving in the novel bc Mr. Hyunjae over here was counting every time his expression faltered during the course of their meeting and negotiation AND THEN DECLINED THE CONTRACT to communicate to Yoojin how high the stakes of the position he wanted was ... poor homeboy was barely holding himself together with the argument that he had to take this route if to not sacrifice himself and give grief to the people who love him, and I'm so proud of him for not breaking over having his shattered self-worth tested TT

also ps. there are SEVERAL actual gay scenes coming up including one where Hyunjae does something akin to a confession/proposal ... the other gay scene you'll have to find out on your own (i dont think its possible for them to censor that one)

I really want to get the depiction of trauma, self-punishment, and internalised homophobia in this series, but it all feels too... quick and convenient. Someone who has held onto this for so long, lived and developed with this guilt for years, doesn't fold so easily.
Every time you relive your guilt in your head, conclusions form again and again until you are able to name your sin emotionlessly, and speak it in a way that denounces all possible pity in your name. The abusers aren't the ones in control of the punishment; rather, you are, and this includes not letting yourself make such a cathartic confession in front of someone. In a weird way, your punishment becomes part of your ego and pride that can't be taken away so easily.
This story doesn't depict a very longstanding guilt imo. It feels like a very fresh wound that could be taken care of quickly rather than a long festering injury.

Nooooooo ahahahaha don't be evil you're so sexy (pls don't let him be an irredeemable villain im so srs he has too much potential for that i beg)

Guys the ending has mc going on a journey after saying she should speed up her schedule. This came right after Vlemir said he was going to confess after he finished up his business. Do you know who else is going on a journey and following their heart?
ROHANNN!!!
You could interpret it as she is finishing up her business so that she can settle down with Vlemir afterwards, but given how she phrased the length of that journey where she can finally be free, it could totally be an insanely great setup for Rohan and Ellisa being able to find love in each other again once they are free from all their duties (she totally ran away from Vlemir with that journey) (plsplspls let that be the case even Kaiden had more chemistry with her than Vlemir) (sob)

Can we take a moment to appreciate how stupid and funny of a villain Kaiden is? I actually can't take him seriously with how he's written.
When he offered for Ellisa to become the Empress I don't know why so many people read it as him having a redemption arc in the story bc NO!! IT'S LITERALLY CLOSER TO A LAVENDER MARRIAGE!!
"no one can understand me like you do"
Understand what? Clearly he was referring to how Ellisa understood that everything he wanted was power and he hates anyone that undermines his power, how everything good he does has a ulterior motive that brings him closer to absolute power, and how as long as you don't threaten his power, he might even do things in your favour??
Kaiden is literally so in love with power that the one time in the entire series where he blushed was when he was talking about sending his wife to war to win over the entire rebel faction that was forming in the West!!!
bro was like "holy shit you gave me key information as to how to destroy my enemies, you don't even need to come into my bedchambers anymore tonight" CAN WE SEE IT GUYS?? HE IS SO HORNY FOR POWER THAT THE POLITICAL EVIDENCE ELLISA BROUGHT WAS MORE SEXY TO HIM THAN ELLISA HERSELF!!

He was never good nor evil, he just really gets off to the concept of having power and has no morals standing in the way of his pursuit of true love