Part 2
Okay so Medea doesn't hate Psyche anymore, and she wants to support Psyche and do better by her.
Medea is so obviously gentle when dealing with Psyche compared to literally everyone else. That doesn't mean she would let Psyche get away with whatever she wants. Medea still confronts her
Uh...whoops. This doesn't seem very gentle.
But really, compared to how Medea talked to Pell and everyone else, she's gentle with Psyche. Medea can be straightforward with Psyche but she would find one way or another to soften her words. It could be a caress of Psyche's hair, or a change in wording, or a touch on her hand, whatever, Medea tries not to bring Psyche unnecessary pain.
Which brings me back to my original point:
Psyche would've been sad about Medea fucking Eros, but she wouldn't fault Medea for anything. She knows how Eros is.
If Medea had directly spoken about that Psyche would've just smiled sadly, teared up a little and went: "It's alright. You couldn't have refused even though you wanted to. He was always like that."
And Medea would have to exert a lot of effort not to throw a table or just go ahead and stab Eros repeatedly with a knife. 'Cuz that's just how much she hates seeing Psyche helpless.
Maybe this ain't canon or whatever, but it was made by the author to show the personality of her characters and well...Medea apparently hates it when Psyche is being messed with. She even hated it when she did it herself.
That is not the face of someone who wants to harm Psyche.
Anyways, Psyche already expected that Eros and Medea would've eventually banged.
Eros probably gets bored and horny when he's not out killing people, and hey, would you look at that! A pretty doll that I own and can fuck is right there!
If Medea in Psyche's body had refused Eros, Eros would've went: "Do you not love me anymore, Psyche? You don't want to touch your lover anymore? Are you having second thoughts about me? The basement..."
OKAY. FOOK OFF EROS YOU FUKIN MANIPULATOR. I made myself angry.
Anyways, Medea would've still ended up in bed with Eros. Psyche knows that.
Hell, I bet their first time happened something like dis:
Psyche: (as Eros puts his disgusting fekin hands on her body) What are you doing?
Eros: What lovers do. Don't refuse me, Psyche, you love me right?
Psyche: (young, slightly scared, and confused, thinking her savior does no wrong) O-okay. I love you.
Eros: (goes ahead and just do whatever the fuck he wants)
👊( -᷅_-᷄)==👊)`-') Gawd I hate him so much.
UGH. ANYWAYS,
Medea was just doing what Psyche would've done. She was just trying to survive.
And although the idea Medea also did that to spite Psyche could be in character for Medea, the fact that Medea was also pissed with Eros for playing with her destroys that idea.
Medea isn't the type to deal 1k damage to the enemy but suffer 800, especially when she couldn't rub it in her enemy's face.
To do it for spite, would've meant Medea was planning to expose herself like: "Sht, Eros ur so stupid. You didn't even notice it was me in Psyche's body, even when we fukked u didn't notice. haha. U fukin moron."
No way Medea would do that though. Eros and Medea are the same in that they like to keep their cards close. Pretty good writing for characters considered as smart strategists.
Alright, so that's my take for reason no.1 why people hate that fekin panel.
Medea had "consent" from Psyche. Consent "wasn't" an issue with Psyche, cuz she didn't have a choice from the start anyways.
Why is consent in quotations? Because even though Psyche expects them to fuck and even if she wouldn't resent Medea when they did, Psyche did not verbally consent to it. Even if they had a mutual understanding, that's not consent, just acceptance. But the thing is Psyche has allowed Medea to do whatever as long as it was for her survival, and vice-versa. If body autonomy was the issue then it's just the same as Medea not getting mad at Psyche for breaking her legs, or when Psyche and Heli pretended to make out at the birthday banquet to escape capture (which led to a city wide rumor that affected Medea's reputation which was important to her). Medea didn't chide Psyche for any that because Psyche had no choice, it was her only way to survive.
Why is wasn't in quotations? At that time, Psyche didn't exactly think much for herself, it was mostly her submitting to Eros' whims, so she didn't think there was an option of saying no to Eros for anything. "Wasn't" because Psyche didn't know wtf consent was.
If anything, Psyche might've even felt bad that Medea had to sleep with Eros. At least later on when Psyche finally understood Eros didn't care for her.
And Medea would've been pissed if she found out Psyche thought like that. 'Cuz Eros was the one at fault, okay, okay?
It was actually pretty jarring when I found out people were saying Medea's character development went to sht,she was unreedemable, cuz of that disgusting scene, and that they pitied Psyche cuz her best friend was fukin toxic and she had no real allies.
Oh, just don't get me wrong Medea is toxic. She's pretty toxic but not for that reason, and not to Psyche.
Like, ugh, I was trying real hard not to put the dam pic but urgh, just to make it clear.
Those scratches on Eros? Not the sexy kind. Those are definitely barely disguised 'I-want-to-hurt-you' scratches.
Many say this whole Medea-in-Psyche's-body-fuckin-Eros part is unnecessary and just fanservice/kink fulfillmemt or some dumb sht. I disagree.
Do I hate this panel? Yes. Do I wish I never saw it? Yes. Did I feel the strong urge to drop Your Throne because of this? Yes.
The whole point of that scene was to drive into the readers' heads that Eros is a fukin villain.
I don't know how y'all saw that pic and went "Oh sht Medea, how could you?! You betrayed Psyche!" when y'all should've went "Eros get your disgusting hands off Psyche!"
I mean Eros literally tried to have Psyche tortured and killed, but then goes ahead and beds Psyche AND the first thing y'all attack is Medea and her morality.
When I saw the spoilers first I thought it happened either the night before the assassination attempt or after. And my friend and I thought it was gross of Eros to want to fuck someone he essentially considered dead, or just tried to kill.
The fact that many people thought Eros and Psyche has never fucked before means that scene was very much needed. A man who is willing to manipulate and kill an innocent girl and countless others simply because he can is capable of taking advantage of a girl's love and just doing as he pleases.
All the media or manwha y'all consumed about those "cold blooded killers/villains" but actually innocent and inexperienced were all lies or just portraying the absolute minority of villains.
Villainy or being "evil" is not just about killing or physical torturing. Honestly, the worst villains are the ones that prey on the weak and the innocent.
Eros is a well written villain. His actions actually show that he is ruthless, intelligent, manipulative, narcisstic, and selfish.
It's also why I find it weird that y'all think him simping for Medea is out of character.
Just because the word Medea used to describe Eros' feelings for her was "love" doesn't mean she actually meant the love most people think of. Eros is not simping for Medea, he is keeping others from touching what he deems as his. He would like it if Medea was by his side, but he also wouldn't mind getting rid of her if she becomes a threat.
Eros only serves himself, everyone else is collateral. (I'd argue he actually has some kind of feelings for Psyche but I digress, I don't want to talk about him)
Right so reason no.2.
Medea disrespected Psyche by fukin Eros. Nahhh. That's not completely right.
I really really really feel bad that Eros being an S-grade asshole manipulator keeps going over everyone's head.
Oh, Medea could've said no, she could've made excuses if she didn't want to have sex with Eros...bro. THAT'S THE FUKIN POINT.
That whole scene was to cement and solidify, to shove in all our fuckin faces that there was nothing else she could do!
Yo when Psyche tried to reason with Eros cuz she didn't want to distance herself from Medea, Eros immediately pulled the basement and the lover card. And people think he wouldn't stoop lower???? That wouldn't make him a very 3D character. I would've laughed at him, would've gotten bored of Your Throne pretty easily. Thankfully, SAM wrote well and drew.
The colors, and expression, Medea does not look happy at all. SAM does not make those panels look happy at all or even sexy or something. It's dreary. It makes it look like a chore or something being done just for the sake of doing it.
Saw spoilers for the translation and it said something about Eros asking why Medea wasn't saying "I love you" while they were doing it,and Medea answered something along the lines of "Because you already know."
And fukin hell people! THAT WAS MEDEA BEING RESPECTFUL OF PSYCHE'S FEELINGS.
Sure it was partly because she disliked Eros,but if she was having sex with Eros because that was what Psyche would've done then she should've acted like Psyche all the way. But she didn't. She could've said I love you after Eros pointed it out so he wouldn't be suspicious, but she didn't.
That was the one thing Medea could choose to do in that situation and she did it.
Medea was in Psyche's body but she was not Psyche, and even though she can act like Psyche perfectly at any times, she chose not to during sex with Eros. It seems like a minor detail but coupled with the illustration that Medea is on top instead of bottom, something that probably didn't happen normally with the real Psyche, meant Medea had no plans of doing sexual things with Eros the way Psyche did.
'Cuz Medea knows Psyche thinks of sex as an intimate deed. Things in the bedroom was an act of love for Psyche, but Medea has no love for Eros and it's why she couldn't impersonate that part of Psyche.
If Medea did it Psyche's way then she really would be cheating Psyche, that would be Medea disrespecting Psyche's beliefs.
Like can y'all get that?
It's a bit weird- no, it feels like an incredible reach, but acts of kindness and respect for Medea's character is all about doing what isn't logical or reasonable or the most efficient action.
Medea has always, always, always done what was needed to gain the most benefits and have the least losses. Before she met Psyche, she never risked a loss that could be avoided. That's why her go to when she had enemies, was murder. If they're dead then there was no need to worry about them coming back and retaliating.
But after meeting Psyche, she allowed herself to take a risk, first by not killing Psyche when she had the chance. Then the more obvious scenes, like going with Pel to help with children, not killing the spy, not murdering her easily swayed servants, etc. (I consider Medea not throwing and destroying things as character developmemt also influenced by Psyche but we don't have to talk about that)
So hmm yeh. No.2 isn't true.
Medea has always respected Psyche, the only time that respect faltered was when she murdered Psyche's knight...then again I would also argue that Medea showed her own twisted form of respect by personally killing Psyche's favorite knight when she could just order Helio to do it.
Anyways dam this and dam it all. I haven't slept for nearly 30hrs now so Imma just stop here.
Main takeaway is Psyche and Medea's relationship is close and strong enough that they'd get through ep.122 flashback without much resentment, cuz they trust each other and both believe the other would never intentionally harm them.
At a certain point of maturity or at a certain point of a relationship, saying everything becomes unnecessary.
Open and outright communication is good and all (I encourage most people to do that 'cuz majority of people have trust issues and need the clear assurance) BUT it isn't for everyone. There are people who prefer not talking about issues directly instead they show that they've changed or show their understanding. Or delay the date they talk about it.
Medea and Psyche will probably talk about it someday, maybe when they're both safe and Eros is dead. Medea will genuinely apologize and she will be solemn about it. Psyche will accept it then laugh and say "I already knew about it.". It won't make Medea happy so Psyche will joke about asking Medea for compensation for it, and Medea will promise her anything. (this is not me romantically shipping them, this is me trying to put how comfortable Psydea are in their friendship into words.)
Medea likes clarifying things but when it comes to Psyche she tries to show some emotional tact.
When your friend is breaking down cuz someone is trying to kill them and nobody wants to listen or help them, would you go and say "btw I fucked ur bf" knowing that would worsen their condition? No you won't. You shouldn't. If you're a good friend you would do your absolute best to de-escalate, you'd wait for a better time to tell them but you would hint at it.
Not everything is black and white, it's not always all or nothing. Handling people's emotions and mental stability are some of those aspects that are a grey area.
You can do that if the other person is relatively mentally and emotionally stable. Like if it was the other way around and Psyche had to tell Medea she fucked Helio while in her body.
Medea can handle that kind of news, she would want to know about that immediately so she can arrange her cards right.
Psyche does not want to know. That's the difference between them.
I am still annoyed with that panel tho. It pisses me off to no end that Eros saw and touched someone as nice and pretty as Psyche. Ffs Psyche is 19 right now in the story which meant she was 16 when Eros became her lover. 19yr old Eros fukin played a clueless 16yr old. How fukin lower can you get?!
Also sheesh. Medea would not resort to rape/manipulating others for sex. She doesn't really get anything from sex. Her FUBU relationship with Helio was framed like a business transaction. They had an agreement. I bet she made it clear to Helio that their relationship wasn't going anywhere, Helio probs entered their FUBU agreement thinking Medea would change her mind. That's on him and his ego.
So why in the fuk would she intentionally spite Psyche in that manner? Medea loves Psyche like she really does.
The way she comforts Psyche, encourages her, tries not to push Psyche too much when it comes to her trauma and stuff...yeah. Medea loves Psyche.
And vice-versa.
Psyche used to be the kind of character that would choose the world over their beloved, but that changed.
Now both these women would choose each other over the world. Although Medea is trying hard to at least consider the world as an option.
They'll probably be single by the end of the webtoon (or dead. I hate myself for saying that but I gotta look at the facts. As much as I want a happy ending for the two, it seems unlikely).
Psydea will stay strong tho. If YT has a happy ending, even if it's not explicitly stated Psydea (romantic) will be endgame. A bad ending probably means a dead Medea (I am mad at myself for that conclusion but ugh).
Hmm that's all. I am open to questions and violent reactions just shoot. A bow, gun, canon, whatever
