Happy Valentine's Day from Damen and Laurent, who say the most romantic things 💖

Bonus:

This is Prince Laurent of Vere. Hands down.

Damen was the unlucky fool who asked the question.

Okay @bixgirl1 you asked for it.

is this nOT WHAT HAP-

What ever you do, don’t think about how much Achilles loved Patroclus.

Don’t think about how at such a young age, Achilles knew that he wanted Patroclus to be his most loyal companion and his brother of arms.

Do not think about how Achilles immediately moved Patroclus into his own room.

Do not think about how Achilles trusted Patroclus so much that he allowed him to watch him train for battle.

Do not think about how upset Achilles was when his mother sent him away to Chiron only to be relieved when Patroclus followed him.

Do not think about how Achilles defied his mother by keeping his friendship and relationship with Patroclus.

Whatever you do, do not think about how upset Achilles was when he heard about the war and how he knew that he had to go and fight.

Do not think about how much Achilles protected Patroclus in the battlefield. Not letting a single person touch his beloved.

Do not think about how conflicted Achilles would have felt when he help Patroclus suit up in his armor. How upset he was and how the guilt already started to set in.

Do not think about how distraught Achilles was when he saw Patroclus’ body. When he saw the blood and the unmoving body. How guilty he felt and how angry he felt and how sad he felt.

Do not think about how Achilles’ first reaction was to grab his sword and slit his own throat because he did not want to live without his beloved, only to remember that he gave his sword to Patroclus.

Please, please, do not think about how enraged Achilles was for all the time after that. How he wouldn’t leave Patroclus’ body and how he would mourn for every second of every day. How angry he was at himself, for letting his love go out into battle knowing the chances of his surviving were slim.

Do not think about how Achilles went mad afterwards. How he mercilessly killed soldiers and Hector. How he wouldn’t return Hector’s body to his family because he did not feel like he deserved it.

Do not think about how Achilles welcomed death. How he knew that he would see Patroclus in Elysium and finally be reunited with the one person he loved the most in the world.

Don’t think about any of these things. Don’t think about a story more tragic that Romeo and Juliet. Don’t think about how much Achilles loved Patroclus and how much Patroclus loved Achilles.

Briseis: I like your top

Patroclus: Please call Achilles by his name

The song of Achilles as Troubled Birds

Achilles:

Patroclus:

Tethis:

Agamemnon:

Oddyseus:

Briseis:

Hector:

Paris:

the only good thing about troy (2004) is the letterboxd reviews about achilles and patroclus

(+ bonus bc it's sending me)

Mount Fuji flower festival, Japan.

Source: google Images

Ok so I did have a little bit of one-on-one interaction with Madeline Miller as she was signing my book, and for the most part I want to keep that kind of to myself (i’m SORRY I’M SELFISH) but I’ll talk a little about it!

She signed my book and I said “I actually wrote you a letter bc I get really nervous” and her whole face lit up and she was SO touched she was like “oh my gosh this is the absolute sweetest thing thank you SO much I can’t wait to read it” and I said “thanks!”

As she went to sign I said “I actually have a question,” and she said “yeah what’s up?” and I said “so within the text, Achilles and Patroclus never actually say the words ‘I love you’ I mean OBVIOUSLY they love each other but… do they say it?” (This is actually one of the most interesting parts of the text to me and I haven’t stopped thinking about it in years) and she sits back for a second and kinda smiles to herself and she goes “of course they do.” To which I immediately went “GOSH of COURSE they do!” and she said, “It’s actually one of the biggest parts of the argument of Did Homer Write Them As Lovers because some people say ‘well he never explicitly states it’ but a lot of people say ‘it’s so obvious he doesn’t HAVE to!’ so, rest assured, they definitely say it, but during scenes that we don’t get to see, but you can absolutely think about them saying it to each other all the time.” 

I tweeted at her and said thank you and that I hoped my letter was okay and she tweeted at me a few hours later and said this:

So like? look. Have I stopped crying? definitely not. Am I getting this tweet tattooed on my forehead as I type this? who’s to say?? anyway, I stan one (1) legend who pronounces Patroclus wrong DIFFERENTLY

Thank you so much to everyone who urged me to read this book. It took my breath away and, to be completely honest, I’m still not over it. Such a gorgeous retelling of Achilles’ likely romance with Patroclus. 😭

This poem was a direct result of my mom telling me to “write about something positive, like nature!” Anyways, I hope you enjoy hearing about climate change.

Down under water,

No one can tell you to hush.

Let the water fill your lungs,

Hear who lurks beyond the brush.

Under the surface,

Your blood is never red.

Enjoy being pure,

Say what has already been said.

At the mouth of a trench,

The old sailors can be your friends.

Accept the same fate,

This is where it ends.

Embrace the pressure,

The crinkles of the sand.

Live in the undercurrent,

On a body you cannot command.

Allow a millennia to pass,

Notice the stillness.

While dry land may burn,

The sea retains it’s brilliance.

Always welcome someone new,

Guide their ship to sink.

Unleash their lively fluids,

Down here it’s a mixed drink.

Let your essence fly,

Surface tension will clean it up.

The sun may scorch your remains,

But the sea is too deep to burn up.

It’s okay to forget your origins,

Those which are little to be known.

The land cannot hear our secrets,

Nor that we are plants made from bone.

This is our sense of security,

Relying on the strength of the tides.

Until the sea falls ill at the hands of humanity,

Coral will not die again until our reef divides.

BLOOD

Stay on top like the man on water

If you can huh?

You can hear

Me

Huh

What you need from me?

Im drowning

Maybe just like you

Tears tinted red

Water to wine

My character continuously finds blood in the water

This is anger?

Huh

An emotionless rush, i no longer show empathy

As i look down the empty barrel of sight

Its all crabs in the bucket

And the one in front of the gun lives forever

So... as i proceed to look you up and down

Dead in the eyes.

“Shoot me”

...

Fuck.

Didnt mean to squeeze

Accidents happen everyday

120 miles per hour

Shit.

Did anyone just see that?

Fuck you

Hater

ACAB

But what am i supposed to do now?

Catch another body.

LIAR!!!

I saw it in your eyes

The first is the hardest

Have it sit on your heart or your mind

Piece of shit

I wouldn’t even put my name on your head

I should spit in your face as i bite my thumb at you

Yes i bite my thumb

Yes i bite my thumb at you sir

...

Sir. ... sir!?

Huh?

Wheres black lives matter now?

Where are they when you need them?

Do you truly believe that?

Because now someone’s missing a child.

A cousin.

An inspiration.

But we keep spinning on this axis

News story after news story

Im tired.

I wanna cry

I wanna kill

Hand me the cold steel

But as that warm blood rushes

Im damned if i do

Damned if i dont

- DeVonne Hart 2021

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