#eutropes

manipulative bastard

The Manipulative Bastard is the master manipulator of people, in essence, a character who manipulates others through their emotions, perspectives, psychologies and any other way they can get them dancing to their tune. This is the guy or gal who gets off on playing head/mind games—clever and dangerous and lacking comedic overtones (usually). She always has a plan ready, but rather than do any work, the Manipulative Bastard prefers to play on other characters' emotions and mental states and then watch the victims destroy themselves as they waste their energy on fighting against fake dangers or their friends.

are we surprised? with a lack of loyalty to others, including her own family, jazmine will gladly step on others and use their weaknesses to her advantage to get what she wants. she’s been a manipulative bastard since she was a child, ever since she first discovered how much her mist control could control the perceptions of others. observant and resourceful, jazmine has no qualms using her talents to gain unauthorized information about others and using it for her personal gain. she views people as her pawns, and her selfish way of thinking gives her little guilt about physically or mentally forcing others into submission. this is a trait she’s picked up from her own father, which we will delve into in the next trope.

daddy’s little villain

mention of emotional abuse tw

She's the daughter of an Evil Overlord, who shares her parent's ambition, cunning, and cruelty. She could be anything from a simple Spoiled Brat to an Overlord in waiting. She's also likely to be a Princess (since even villainy is improved with that), although she will still prefer wearing black or dark colors over pink. 

jazmine’s mortal father can largely be thanked for the way she is now. from as young as she can remember, he was training jazmine to be a powerful force in both the demigod and mortal world. while he raised her to think she could accomplish anything she worked toward, she was mostly a pawn to satisfy his thirst for power. he didn’t care much for her as a daughter; mostly for what she could do for him. she started to recognize this during her formative middle school years, consequently turning her childhood role model into her worst enemy. when she started rebelling against him and acting out, he sent her away full-time to a camp on the other side of the globe. since then, the issues only progressed, eventually leading to a falling out in which she hasn’t seen or spoken to her mortal family in many years. 

this upbringing has fueled her desire to constantly be the best in her fields of expertise, which is partly why she quested for years in hopes of some type of recognition. with the heavily hidden hope that she could one day rub in his face that she had succeeded without him, all her life she has fought to try to ‘prove her worth’ to others despite being the daughter of a minor goddess (or titan). because her father only loved what she could do for him, she places everyone in two categories: the puppets, and the puppeteers. 

and she will never be the puppet again.

broken ace

He's tall, charming, strikingly good-looking, well-spoken in five languages, and classically trained in even more instruments. But inside, he's an ugly, writhing mass of self-hatred and Parental Issues. Expect him to have at least one bizarre trait or ability that should not be overlooked, as well as an unhealthy attitude about love, life, and humanity in general. He most likely doesn't have anyone that loves or respects him for what he really is. This may be justified. This character is usually male, but not always. Also, he may just be a perfectionist crumbling under his own standards. The chief difference between the Broken Ace and the usually female Stepford Smiler is that the Stepford Smiler wants to appear normal at all costs, often to the point of hurting herself emotionally (or because she's sociopathic). This guy has the same setup, but is more talented and wants to be the best, loved by all, and accepted.

although the timeline wasn’t as accelerated as she had hoped when she was a child, jazmine was making waves in the world of deities before her last quest against zeus had occurred. now, as a semi-retired quester, she is captain of the football team and starting to make a name for herself in the mortal fields of business and sports. despite the air of nonchalant superiority that she constantly tries to present, she is in a constant state of despair. right when she starts to undergo some development in her relationships with others, they leave, and she is constantly failing her own impossibly high standards. she’s crumbling, and at any point she is ready to run away again.

ice queen

Much like a Tomboy, the Ice Queen is a major character archetype which is somewhat hard to define. Her signature characteristic is that she is cold; the ambiguity comes from what "cold" means. She has a cold heart, a frosty demeanor and very often a resting bitch face; she attracts but will never be wooed. The Ice Queen is considered dangerous to love because she will not (or cannot) love back. She's not much for friendship either, preferring to be alone. Situations where an Ice Queen "thaws" and learns to enjoy the company of others are so common that they have their own trope.

she’s cold and takes no shit. she holds people at a distance, even those that could potentially be considered friends. she doesn’t believe in unconditional love, and she believes that most affection direct toward her is generally a ruse to get her guard down. she’s unnecessarily rude to others, almost relishing in the negative reactions at times, but to her, she’s just keeping it real.

the trickster

A trickster is a character who plays tricks or otherwise disobeys normal rules and conventional behavior. The Trickster openly questions and mocks authority, encourages impulse and enthusiasm, seeks out new ideas and experiences, destroys convention and complacency, and promotes chaos and unrest. At the same time, the trickster brings new knowledge, wisdom and many An Aesop. Even when punished horribly for his effrontery, his indomitable spirit (or plain sheer foolishness) keeps him coming back for more. Tricksters can be anything from gods of chaos, bedeviling heroes for a few laughs, to master manipulators who use cruel ploys and sadistic choices. They can also be heroes (or more likely Anti-Heroes) who make up for a lack of strength or bravery with manipulation, planning, or just plain cheating. The trickster is often a Master of Disguise and may have magical or super-powers. They're often found Walking the Earth.

although this description was much more relevant when she was younger, jazmine has a penchant for drama and chaos. she genuinely has fun engaging in pranks and tricks, and she gladly lifts a symbolic middle finger to authority in any chance that she gets. in middle school, she was nearly expelled from a mortal school because of all her tricks, and she spent a sizable portion of her adult years before eonia traveling and engaging in casual mayhem. when she isn’t getting revenge or fulfilling a paid request, she generally has fun toying with others.

deadpan snarker

A character prone to gnomic, sarcastic, sometimes bitter, occasionally whimsical asides. The Deadpan Snarker exists to deflate pomposity, point out the unlikelihood of certain plans, and deliver funny lines. Typically the most cynical supporting character. In most cases, it is implied that the snarker would make a good leader, strategist, or consultant given their ability to instantly see the flaws in a constructed plan. More often than not, their innate snarkiness is the only thing preventing the other characters from comprehending this for themselves. In other cases, the Deadpan Snarker resorts to sarcasm because they're the Only Sane Man. Tends to be shot a Death Glare when they go too far (and probably isn't without one of their own, either). Note that due to the definition evolving, the "Deadpan" part of the title has gradually become The Artifact and a deadpan delivery is no longer a necessary part of the trope.

jazmine is no stranger to delivering biting remarks coupled with foul language. she’s quick to point out flaws, opting for the brutally honest approach more times than not. she’s aware that her language can hurt others, but she finds it easier to escape the frivolities and get to the point. depending on the person, she exaggerates this trope by trying to draw out a bad response from them, mostly for her own entertainment. people already view her as heinous, so why not embrace the reputation, right?

survivor guilt

death mention tw

You might be the Last Of Your Kind or someone else made a Heroic Sacrifice for you or you lived through a Restricted Rescue Operation, but whatever the reason, you're going to feel a massive sense of guilt. 

although the quest with adelphie and celeste was technically a success, with the trident successfully being returned back to poseidon, the team had faced major losses. adelphie had lost her life, and celeste had suffered debilitating injuries. physically, jazmine suffered the least, and it’s a guilt that she continues to carry.

aloof big sister

to the majority of the hecate family, especially @rostameu

He's smarter, stronger, faster, more talented, and more refined than the hero, and — just to add insult to injury — he's probably sexier, too. His only problem seems to be moving his face out of that expression of bored, dignified disdain. And he just happens to be the elder brother of one of the main cast, which often gives them a raging inferiority complex. Will most likely double as the Ineffectual Loner and Noble Demon, thereby running the risk of becoming an Ensemble Darkhorse. May or may not be evil, strictly speaking, but is almost guaranteed to fight against the protagonists at one point, and spout off Cryptic Conversation to prove how much better informed he is. May or may not be a Stealth Mentor and/or consider his younger siblings annoying. Often an integral part of a mysterious organisation, and may be the Enigmatic Minion or even a Hero Antagonist in that case.

stepford smiler

tw mention of mental illness - anxiety & depression

virginia will always have a smile on her face, no matter what. a cursed blessing, a power bestowed to her by dionysus allowing her to maintain a permanent poker face. on the outside, virginia comes across as yet another ditzy social butterfly. bubbly, carefree, and annoyingly optimistic, it doesn’t seem like there’s much that can actually faze her. a lover of the spotlight, she makes sure she’s hard to miss, always one you can hear coming a mile away and brightening any room she walks into. at her core, she’s extremely friendly, always  needing wanting someone to talk to. an expert at small talk, priding herself in always being able to fill up awkward silences. of course, this is nothing more than a mask she puts on because the truth is virginia viamontes, is utterly and devastatingly broken. she’s been like this for a while. always having the perfect smile on her lips while laying awake at night by the demons that haunt her. the insecurities and fears that run through her mind are never ending. part of the reason why you’ll rarely find virginia on her own is because of how easily it is for her to get sucked into her own thoughts. she’s terrified of never being good enough: not being talented, not being smart enough, not being beautiful enough, not being worthy enough — of literally not being enough for anyone. she’s completely numb inside, the smile she puts on being nothing more than a facade to get her through the day. she works extremely hard and bends over backwards for others only to feel like she’s let down someone every time. it’s something that has gone untreated for years with virginia refusing to admit that how she feels isn’t normal or accept that she needs help.

abusive parents

tw mention of emotional neglect, mention of death

while virginia cares deeply for her parents, her mother especially, the relationship she has with graciela viamontes and dionysus is rocky to say the least. as a child she idolized the romantic fairytale her mother had created about how her parents met. graciela spinning a story of how dionysus was her prince charming who fell to his untimely demise before vi was born. going so far as to take the girl to visit ‘his grave’ all throughout her childhood. it wasn’t until virginia’s powers manifested and graciela realized that the vague note dionysus had left behind about how he was a god and would be back once vi got older, that she realized her web of lies was soon to be untangled. it completely devarstated vi. while it was something she never confronted her mother about, it did cement some deep seeded issues in the girl. her mother became distant after it was revealed that vi was a demi-god, resentful almost. she still provided for vi but things were never the same. she stopped being the person virginia would go to for anything and everything. she knows her mom’s never looked at her the same either and vi’s almost sure that she blames her for her failed broadway dreams. the tipping point coming during virginia’s senior of high school when vi wanted to go to julliard and graciela insisted she attend eonia. while she was accepted into both, graciela kept pressuring vi into attening eonia in athens due to it being the ‘safer’ option. an argument that lasted weeks, with graciela refusing to help vi with anything college related, backing her into a corner until she had to attend eonia. it caused them to not speak for weeks with her step-father serving as a mediator between the two. ‘til this day, virginia’s almost certain there’s a part of her mom that fears virginia. every decision she’s made feels like it’s been something to keep vi at arm’s length all while keeping a very cautious eye on her, especially when it came to how virginia engaged with her step-father and baby sister. then there’s dionysus. meeting dionysus was such a let down, mainly because he was nothing like the version graciela had created. he wasn’t interested in virginia, never giving her the validation or love she so desperately craved. she spent years trying to please him, doing everything in her power to get just an ounce of something from him. once her step-father entered the picture, vi did manage to get that father figure she yearned for but it never took away the pain of knowing that no matter how hard she tries, dionysus will never care. with both of them being neglectful in their own way, it’s caused a lot of problems with how she involves herself with others.

never my fault

accountability has never been something virginia has learned to take. there’s always someone within arm’s reach to blame, somehow never making things her fault. she’s always merely reacting to the actions of someone else. she’s been like this since she was a little girl. during her playground years, this would translate as virginia incessantly bugging her classmates to the point of them lashing out at her. of course, what most adults would see were the crying little girl who was being picked on, vi conveniently not mentioning how they had said no multiples times before before losing their temper on her. the older she got, the more trouble she seemed to get herself into. never acting alone and always putting the blame on whoever she managed to wrap into her mess. it’s evident with her relationship with others, the victim card being something she knows how to play all to well. whether it’s a fallout with a friend, a break-up with a significant other, even a fight with a siblings - she’ll say she’s never the one at fault. someone always did something leaving her to come out of it scot-free, at least that’s the story she’ll tell.

i just want to be loved

there’s an innate need of wanting to be loved. between the web of lies her mom made up, endless rom-com’s virginia grew up watching, and lack of love she received from both parents, she was definitely influenced at a young age to feel a certain way toward love. whether it was familial, platonic, or romantic, she’s always yearned for it. the need to be validated and liked by others stemming from just simply wanting love. she’s definintely a hopeless romantic at heart, falling way too hard, way too fast. she let’s her emotions get the best of her, usually in an unhealthy way that always leaves her feeling like as much as she wants to be loved, she either doesn’t deserve it or will never get it.

her own worst enemy

tw mention of mental illness - anxiety & depression

if there is one thing vi has always seemed to excel at, it’s been sabotaging herself. doesn’t really matter what the topic is, if there’s a chance things might go wrong, vi makes sure she’s the one that makes it go wrong before things have a chance to blow up on their own. there’s a sense of power that she feels she has with this, like if she can somehow control the situation, she can control her emotions upon the outcome of things? unsurprisingly, it never ends up working in her favor. her insecurities and fears always getting the best of her. at the end of the day, she hates herself too much to allow herself to be happy. it’s an annoying contradiction, considering how much she actually wishes to be happy. she’s just so set into her self-loathing ways that she sabatoges any type of happiness or success that seems to be near.

FUN BONUS —

alliterative name

◈ 01. adult fear

although anton likes to tell people, and even appear, that he isn't afraid of anything, he's actually very much afraid of the day when he can no longer scrounge up payments for his bills. never mind the fact that he can call his stepfather, his mother, and even his younger sister for help. after surviving time behind bars for petty theft to loudly proclaim that he was turning in a new leaf and becoming more responsible, the son of hermes fears the truth that he may actually not be able to redeem himself. at least not on his own.

◈ 02. brilliant but lazy

anton is actually breezing through his electrical engineering degree and is on his way to getting a minor in, of all things, entomology. he just doesn't look the part, mostly because of his more than lackadaisical attitude towards academic education. books, ugh.

◈ 03. affectionate nickname ⋮ atrocious alias

shiloh calls him "mozarella man", noor calls him "anchovies", and his own sister calls him "constance". the last part, anton considers more of an atrocious alias, even though bee considers it her affectionate nickname for him. she has always wanted a sister, and as she likes to tell him, their mom did, too. constantine, constance, get it?

◈ 04. the sneaky guy ⋮ le parkour

ofc he is, and ofc he knows parkour. he's the son of the god of thieves, after all.

◈ 05. the atoner ⋮ reformed criminal

anton's entire thing is to redeem himself, but that's easier said than done.

◈ 06. loveable rogue ⋮ plucky comic relief

the crime that sent him behind bars actually got him a compliment from his younger sister and even hermes, the latter of which even noted it as a "cool crime" before shipping him off to eonia university to change his dumb ways. anton also sees himself as these things every now and then, and most people would agree...to varying degrees of annoyance.

◈ 07. large ham ⋮ blatant lies ⋮ manchild

anton's humor usually involves hamming it up and quipping obvious lies because obvious lies are funny. at least to him, they are. he likes to do this to intentionally annoy others. his humor is just like him, though: goofy, excitable, carefree, and barely responsible.

◈ 08. apologetic attacker ⋮ combat pragmatism ⋮ technical pacifist

even though he's the son of the god of thieves, anton sometimes gets caught in the act, mostly because of his partners, which leads to fights he never really wants. quick on his feet as well as his fists, anton tends to apologize to those he has to punch or kick to get out of there, mostly because fighting is the last thing he always wants to do. get in and then get out, there's never any room in his plans for full-on violence. plus, most of his combat skills appear to be very pragmatic, a shoving kick or some counter-grappling that are more about outmaneuvering and outwitting opponents, so that he can either incapacitate them or run away while they're down on the floor. as he likes to say, "technically, it's self-defense" or "technically, i didn't kill anyone".

◈ 09. justified criminal ⋮ anti-hero ⋮ pay evil unto evil ⋮ underhanded hero

anton might have paid his dues for petty thievery but every now and then, he relapses. almost every single crime he commits is out of a misguided sense of justice or heroics, though. his first idea whenever he's offered an opportunity get back at an injustice? commit something illegal. it's fire versus fire, except no one actually gets burned. at least that's the idea.

◈ 10. irony ⋮ it's personal ⋮ digging yourself deeper ⋮ stupid crooks

EVERYONE  HAS  STANDARDS    :    mimi  has  a  big  reputation  for  taking  things  to  the  next  level.    she’s  mischievous,    loud,    and  somewhat  of  a  prankster,    and  while  it’s  all  in  good  fun,    there  are  some  things  that  even  she  won’t  do.    for  example,    she  tends  to  not  bother  people  who  she  knows  cannot  handle  her  teasing    (    i.e.  people  who  are  too  nice  or  way  too  innocent    ),    preferring  to  stick  to  those  who  are  of  equal  footing  to  her  but  are  easy  to  agitate  or  quick  to  rile  up.    even  she  wouldn’t  prank  a  child  or  the  elderly  without  good  reason,    or  go  so  far  as  to  cause  serious  physical  pain  and  injury  to  her    (    often  unwilling    )    victim.    she  might  be  a  troublemaker  but  she’s  not  completely  without  morals.

REBELLIOUS  SPIRIT    :    authority  is  mimi’s  least  favourite  word  and  she  very  much  makes  a  point  of  letting  the  whole  world  know  how  she  feels  about  it.    the  minute  you  put  down  any  sort  of  rule  or  regulation  in  front  of  her,    you  know  she’ll  be  heading  in  the  opposite  direction.    simply  put,    mimi  does  not  fare  well  with  responsibility.    aside  from  handing  out  free  smoothies  to  her  friends  when  she  has  a  shift  at  berry  bliss,    mimi  simply  refuses  to  attend  ra  meetings    (    much  to  their  chagrin    ),    and,    in  the  past,    turned  down  quests  and  ignored  advice  on  how  to  hone  her  abilities,    just  to  get  back  at  her  father.    on  top  of  that,    she’s  dropped  out  of  several  majors  in  the  last  five  years  and  has  a  tendency  to  skip  classes  that  don’t  pique  her  interest.    what  can  she  say    ?    she’s  a  slacker,    get  used  to  it.

DEADPAN  SNARKER    :    while  people  may  often  mistake  her  for  being  all  brawn  and  no  brain  thanks  to  the  rep  that  ares  house  has  made  for  itself  in  the  past,    mimi  never  fails  to  make  a  witty  comeback,    regardless  of  the  situation.    she  has  a  habit  of  mumbling  comments  under  her  breath  or  just  loud  enough  for  the  person  beside  her  to  hear.    most  of  the  time,    she  says  them  to  get  a  reaction  from  the  people  around  her,    whether  to  make  them  laugh  or  press  all  their  buttons,    but  she  can  never  resist  the  opportunity  to  make  banter  with  someone.    if  she  roasts  you,    it  usually  means  that  she  cares.

NOBODY  CALLS  ME    “  CHICKEN  ”    !    :    be  it  the  ares  in  her  blood  or  her  stubborn  attitude,    but  if  you  goad  mimi  into  a  challenge,    she  will  always  try  to  one - up  you.    she’s  a  very  competitive  person  by  nature,    and  it’s  perhaps  one  of  the  few  ways  she  has  taken  after  her  father.    many  of  her  childhood  years  were  spent  at  the  local  arcade  with  her  cousin,    trying  to  beat  kids  who  were  double  her  size  and  older  than  her  in  age  in  a  game  of  tekken  or  street  fighter.    she  takes  bets  very  seriously  and  absolutely  despises  losing.    while  she  often  makes  out  that  she  cares  very  little,    she  will  go  the  extra  mile  it  if  means  she  will  win.

(    note    :    this  trope  is  subverted  when  you  take  into  consideration  her  view  on  quests.    )

WHY  WE  CAN’T  HAVE  NICE  THINGS    :    if  there’s  one  thing  mimi  knows  in  life,    it’s  the  disappointment  that  comes  with  keeping  your  hopes  up.    she’s  used  to  losing  the  things  that  makes  her  happy,    people  she  loves  or  has  befriended,    and  as  a  result,    she  now  makes  sure  to  steer  them  in  the  opposite  direction  before  they  even  get  the  chance  to  let  her  down.    the  vast  majority  of  her  relationships  are  kept  on  the  surface,    preferring  acquaintances  over  the  company  of  close  friends.    it’s  not  healthy  in  the  slightest  and  she  knows  that,    but  it’s  the  only  thing  she  really  knows,    and  in  her  eyes  it’s  easier  and  far  more  humane  than  watching  the  same  cycle  repeat  itself  for  the  hundredth  time.    it’s  probably  the  only  time  her  odikinesis  has  ever  come  in  handy  for  her,    even  if  she  hates  herself  for  it  once  the  storm  has  died  down.

THE  NAPOLEON    :    at  five  foot  three,    mimi  sits  just  below  the  average  height.    her  eyeline  usually  meets  people’s  shoulders,    and  she  frequently  has  to  climb  on  top  of  furniture  in  order  to  reach  things  that  are  out  of  her  height.    one  might  liken  her  to  a  terrier  in  the  sense  that  she  is  small  but  incredibly  bold,    often  using  her  height  to  her  advantage  when  people  get  in  her  way  or  annoy  her.    she’s  scrappy,    and  certainly  has  good  reason  to  let  her  rage  get  the  better  of  her    (    plus,    you  know,    the  literal  fury  bubbling  beneath  the  surface  that  she  inherited  from  her  dearest  father    ).    however,    contrary  to  popular  belief  and  in  spite  of  her  brazenness,    mimi  has  quite  the  laidback  personality  and  it  usually  takes  a  lot  for  actual  anger  to  be  incited.

HIDDEN  HEART  OF  GOLD    :    not  a  lot  of  people  get  to  see  the  softer  side  to  mimi’s  personality.    she  keeps  it  well  hidden  behind  a  maze  of  walls  that  she’s  slowly  been  putting  up  over  the  years,    and  tends  to  push  people  away  when  she  feels  they  are  getting  too  close.    that  being  said,    it  does  make  its  appearance  from  time  to  time.    beneath  her  loud  exterior,    are  some  very  genuine  and  heartfelt  emotions.    though  she’s  reckless  and  somewhat  abrasive  at  times,    mimi  is  also  quite  loyal  and  tends  to  put  her  friends’  feelings  way  above  her  own.    if  she  loves  you,    she’ll  never  push  you  too  hard  or  too  far,    and  even  though  she  may  not  always  show  it,    she  does  form  attachments  to  people  very  easily.    once  you  have  her  heart,    it’s  yours  forever.