Instead Of Studying, I Made A Terribly Compressed Chart Of The Secret History Characters And Their Dynamics

"No country would ever consider it an act of evil to deny a pig human rights.

Therefore, if you were to define someone speaking a different tongue, someone of a different color, someone of a different heritage as a pig in human form, any oppression, persecution, or atrocity you might inflict upon them would never be regarded as cruel or inhumane."

--Eighty Six, Vol. 1

This. because what do you mean you have watched that show I absolutely adore, you little fuck, don’t ruin it for me.

Absolutely nothing worse than finding out that you share interests with someone you hate. Has you thinking things like fuck you I'm better at enjoying star wars than you are

Reading volume 4 of Eighty Six and I cannot help but share the quotes/moments that bring me immense feels. Damn this angst. (In no particular order.)

1]

"You don't have to do this anymore. You have no sins to atone for. No one's condemning you, so please stop--stop trying to bear a cross that doesn't exist."

~Shin to Lena.

2]

"We wouldn't do something as pathetic as hanging ourselves just because our deaths were predetermined, nor would we sit idly by, counting the days until the end. If we have to die, we'll live each day without regrets-always smiling in the face of death. That was our one and only form of resistance. "

-Shin.

3]

"Leaving such things as they are even when you know they’re wrong is tantamount to supporting them."

-Lena.

LOUDER for people in the back 👏

4]

'“Those kids, they aren’t strong. They simply understood that they had to be strong to survive, and in the process of trying to become strong, they instead cut off anything that made them weak.”

It wasn’t that they weren’t hurt. It was that they hurt so much they had to cut off anything that allowed them to feel pain…?'

_________

In conclusion? I should have started reading this piece of art earlier. The LNs are amazing.

I looked everywhere, the deepest depths of media, mangas, anime. From novels to games. I dived in the darkest depths of ao3 and I have discovered that Luke Pearce and Rosa are the epitome of the "childhood friends, seperated and reunited, to lovers" trope. Fight me. ITS NEVER DONE WELL, THIS TROPE, BUT TOT DOES IT PERFECTLY. FIGHT ME. THE ANGST, THE FLUFF, THE YEARNIG, THE PINING, THE SUNSHINES AND THE DARKNESS- ITS ALL THERE, WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT??

I think this is why I love TOT dudes so much. They appear a trope but instead, are a full exploration and deconstruction of that trope.

From Artem appearing like a Cold Black Suit Boss trope but actually being just some dude who is actually really kind and awkward, learning to better socialise.

From Marius appearing like a Spoiled Rich Boy trope to actually being just someone struggling with ambition and responsibilities of his family name.

From Luke appearing like Childhood Friend Sunshine trope to being just someone struggling with being seriously ill, hypocritical due to his circumstances and seriously self destructive.

And.. well, it's a little hard to dissect Vyn to a trope but I think I have made my point already.

I just love these boys SO much and they all have so much love to give. So much kindness to show. So much affection to lay.

the take of "artem is so boring i don't get why people like him" always makes me laugh because like. .. wording aside, that's kinda the point! the appeal?!

he's introduced as this Serious and Cold suit wearing senior attorney of themis, which in most otome would indicate your typical Sexy and Smooth Daddy Dom. like. the first official art we see of him is him sweating and pulling his tie loose. upon global launch, advertisements for tot always included the first evo of his atmospherics ssr out of context.

but the twist is that he's just A Dude. he's respectful and gentle with rosa. he struggles to make friends because he's really socially awkward, takes his work seriously, and has a resting bitch face. he has a film review blog and likes to write fan scripts. his dad wasn't around much and rarely visits. despite appearances, he is deeply empathetic. he's surprisingly idealistic in regards to his work and the impact he wants to make on the city. he grew up not wanting to cause trouble for the adults in his life and as a result has great difficulty acknowledging what he's struggling with and expressing how he feels. he's easily flustered. he has been called out on his bullshit several times by rosa. his father figure is missing and he would do anything to save him. he is earnest in all he does. he is only friends with one person at work and that's celestine, the founder of the law firm and a family friend of his mother's. he's endearing!

despite the prestige and pedestals people place artem on, he is literally just A Dude and i think that's neat

lets talk about the plane scene in bridon arc, where cheng xiaoshi's sleeping head falls on lu guang's shoulders and lu guang, the man, reaches his hand out to touch his hair. I dont even ship them but just his yearning, trying to feel that yes, he is here. trying to feel the 'there-ness' of CXS. I love them your honor.

Btw stop making lu guang suffer omg

AINT NO WAY, DIED, STOP CALLING ME OUT LIKE THAT

Told her to undress me, she showed me my jee ka result kyuki nanga to usme bhi hua tha

yall ended up deciding on your favorite men on TOT? How? does marius's 'onee-san' not entice you? Does Luke's sunshine not call you closer? Does artem's domestic fluff and househusband core not affect you at all?

You chose a favorite and never wavered? How?

When the comfort game is comforting;

It's the way Aziraphale is a terrible liar and magician but he always effortlessly pulls through whenever it is to protect Crowley.

Exhibit A:

In season 1, when Gabriel and Sandalphon drop by for a surprise visit, and they can tell something smells evil, Aziraphale very smoothly lies which is one of the only times he isn't an anxious mess in front of the Archangels.

Exhibit B:

The picture swapping in season 2 which is emphasised even further later when Aziraphale tries to recreate the magic trick once they're back (safe) in the bookshop and just fails lol

There's no conclusion to this I just thought it was neat and I needed to ramble a bit

Edit: OK there is a conclusion, actually (my brain just needed to process lol). I think it really reinforces how at his core, Aziraphale is a protector. A guardian, if you will. It comes naturally to him. We see it with the way he decides to help Gabriel in s2 with no hesitation, with how he immediately puts the humans' safety first when the demons attack the bookshop. We're often so focused on Crowley's protective side towards our angel, it's easy to miss the maybe more subtle ways Aziraphale protects him right back.

And I think it could play quite a part in his decision to go back to Heaven. Perhaps it's wishful thinking but I don't think he'll fumble his role as Supreme Archangel, if we are to believe he made that decision partly to protect Crowley, then I 100% believe he'll pull through. Because he gets it right when it matters, after all.